Harry Potter and the Time Warp
by joenaruhina57
Summary: Harry is an Investigative Auror with a disturbing past. After the war, he finds himself in love with his best friend, but he decides not to act on his feelings due to her relationship with Ronald. Years later, he meets Hermione again and he finds her both abused and unhappy. Both escape to the past, trying to change the world for the better. Weasley, Snape and Dumbledore bashing...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

* * *

 _ **December (2011)-**_

Harry potter, the boy-who-lived, the chosen-one, the one-who-vanquished-the-dark-lord, he had many titles, but none of which suited him even remotely. Harry Potter was returning to London for this year's Christmas after another rough year of hunting. It's been thirteen years since Voldemort's downfall, now Harry James Potter was nothing but a shell of his former self.

'Voldemort's downfall' an event that marked as the beginning of a new life, it seemed so far away like it happened a lifetime ago. After finishing his final year in Hogwarts following Voldemort's death, he became an Auror almost immediately. He was so driven to bring justice to all those people who suffered under Voldemort's reign and he satisfied his drive by hunting former Death-Eaters who were on the run.

Harry Potter was no pushover; he was a person who wasn't to be trifled with. He has destroyed many Werewolves' Dens and has killed at least a few dozens of the bloodthirsty ones by himself. Werewolf wasn't the only creature he hunted, he has decimated many giants and their colonies, so many were introduced to his wrath that their very kind was on the verge of extinction. He modified his Patronus charm, so that it could kill or fatally wound Dementors not to just scare them away and many individual Vampires who supported Voldemort's cause suffered by his hand.

Death Eaters were entirely another issue, because after Voldemort's fall many fled the country and the remaining went into hiding, many Death Eaters who survived the battle of Hogwarts had a good reason not to come back. He hunted the most dangerous ones by tracking them and he even went to other countries to continue his hunt, as a result only very few former-Death Eaters are still alive.

To the general populace of magical Britain, Harry Potter was an 'Investigative Auror' who travelled around the world investigating and hunting former-Death Eaters and many other Dark creatures, which directly or indirectly posed a threat to the society, to them he was hero. But only he knew, of all the things he sacrificed to willingly face danger every day, all in an effort to keep the general public safe. Harry Potter was a very famous writer, he wrote detailed books about his travels and hunting trips regarding Vampires, Werewolves, Dementors and Giants and surprisingly all of his books were best-sellers when he eventually published them. Honestly he didn't know if it was his fame or his crude way of writing that made his publications a huge success. He barely ever came home after his work, it's been three years since the last time he visited London, because he spent most of his time in other countries immersed into his work.

During the thirteen years away from home, he wasn't in any way idle. He attained Mastery in Legilimency, Occulumency, Alchemy, Arithmancy, Potions and Ancient Runes. He also conducted detailed studies and researches on Dragons, Basilisks, Graphorns, Chimaeras and Phoenixes and he successfully published study papers on all of them too. His research on dangerous creatures like Chimaeras, Graphorns and Basilisks acquired him the title of 'professorial research fellow' the equivalent of _Professor_ in the wizarding world. With all his achievements, he was currently working on developing a much stronger form of Wolfsbane potion that would make a lycanthropy afflicted victim to think rationally and to give complete control of the victim's mind during werewolf transformation and induce a partial reverse transformation. He worked in all these fields to prove that he was worthy of his fame, which he enticed due to the continuous adventurous events in his early life. And most importantly he became a master duellist, so talented and specialized that he was sure that he can give Voldemort and Dumbledore a run for their money at his current skill level.

One may ask why he would consider Dumbledore as an opponent despite all the things the man had done for him. If asked, his answer would put lowlifes with a foul mouth to shame. He developed a deep repugnance towards Dumbledore's methods for all the manipulations and planning Dumbledore did for him during the Horcrux hunt due to its inefficacy and cost of life. He just wished that he knew the key details of Voldemort's secrets and then he surely could have saved the lives of hundreds maybe thousands who all died in vain for a mad man's dream. He later found out that Dumbledore orchestrated everything in his entire life, meeting the Weasleys and most of the events in Hogwarts were all planned by the old manipulative headmaster. To his detesting surprise he even found that Dumbledore made a marriage contract with the help of the Weasley matriarch regarding him and Ginny and that led him to believe that even his meeting with Ginny was planned. Everything in his life was a grand illusion where he was abandoned to find the reason for his own existence.

All of this knowledge brought out an uncontrollable rage, which he effectively channelled to keep his deep longing and sadness suppressed after his break up with Ginny. When he found out that Molly was helping Ginny use Confusing Concoctions, Twilight Moonbeams and Compulsion charms on him to keep him interested in her. That was the most concealed betrayal that urged him to lose all of his compassion and faith in people, because he found out that Molly Weasley only tried to set him up with Ginny, because their affiliation with Ancient House of Potter will be helpful in making Weasley family a Noble House. Surprisingly, Percy was the one who predicted and speculated all of this and explained it to him without spinning the truth. And this turned out to be one of the reasons why Percy moved away from the Burrows just as soon as he got his job in the ministry.

Finally when he had clarity in his mind, a refreshing effect which was the result of flushing away all the potions from his system and overcoming the charms placed on him, he realized that he still had feelings for his best friend Hermione. However instead of replicating his feelings for her, he distanced himself from Hermione and his friends, because Hermione was happy with Ron and he wasn't going to ruin it because of his selfish desires. During his time in school he was emotionally compromised and he was in constant peril due to the events in his schooling years, so he never realized how others felt about him. He always had problems that he had to supervise, that he completely forgot to show her that he needed and wanted her in his life, as more than a friend. That's what led her friendship with Ron to blossom into something more and that's what he wished that he could change.

To keep suppressing all these sadness caused by him failing to protect all those lives in the battle of Hogwarts and during Voldemort's reign all because of his inability to protect them, he threw himself at work and ran away from his problems. It's been years since he had talked to Ron or Hermione. Furthermore Ron and he had a fight, where Ron blamed him for breaking up with Ginny and he hadn't talked to Ron since then. And after Ron's and Hermione's marriage he hadn't talked to Hermione at all, because he was afraid of seeing them together, so he used it as the reason to constantly be away in other countries investigating many cases and targets.

He knew that Hermione and Ron had a five year old daughter named Rose and that he shouldn't interfere in their lives, but deep down he knew that he had to at least check up on them and maybe regain the friendship he lost. But for now he was on his way to Andromeda Tonks's house to meet the woman who was the only connection of a family he had and also to meet his Godson Teddy or Edward Lupin who will also be coming back from Hogwarts for the Christmas break.

* * *

 _ **Andromeda Tonks's House-**_

Harry walked up to the small yet pleasant house and knocked on the door. And minutes later a fine looking old woman opened the door and just as soon as she saw who was standing near the door, she hugged the boy she considered a son.

"It's nice to see you, Dromeda." Harry greeted and returned the hug.

"Long time, Harry…" Andromeda replied and released the hug.

"How are you? Are you coping with Teddy and his school life?" He asked as he walking inside and sat down on the couch.

"I'm fine and I am coping, because of your funds and your costly gifts make Edward more manageable during summer. But what I am interested in, is that you are traveling around the world and not bothering to come back home and having a life of your own." She asked as she was preparing a snack.

"I come here and within minutes you start asking me about my personal life." He joked exasperatedly.

"You loved a woman and she is married to another man, so what at least tell her how you feel you blithering idiot. And besides you don't have a personal life that I can inquire on about." Dromeda replied jokingly.

"That time has come and gone, Dromeda and you know that too. And for your information I have a personal life." Harry said as he walked to the kitchen and took the snacks and started eating, while sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Take the plate and go to the couch, don't sit around here." Dromeda scolded as she shooed him off.

"When is Teddy coming home?" He asked while eating his snacks.

"Day after tomorrow and I'm supposed to pick him up at King's Cross would you like the honour?" Dromeda asked him flippantly.

"I'll be happy to and besides I need to see my godson and spoil him all over again." Harry said as he sat down and relaxed after the long tiring day.

"Where are you going to stay?" Dromeda asked curiously.

" _12 Grimmauld Place,_ of course…" Harry replied as he munched on his snack.

"All alone, Harry? Stay here in the spare room and give Teddy and me some company during the holidays." Dromeda suggested interestedly.

"I don't want to intrude…" He started, but was interrupted.

"Rubbish, you are staying here and that's final." Dromeda said sternly and walked back into the kitchen to prepare lunch for both.

"How long are you staying this time?" Dromeda asked as she began to cook.

"Just a few days, I'll be leaving to Romania after New year for my latest case." He replied to her tiredly.

"Then let us make the most of it Harry and I am assuming that you will be here for New Year with Ted and me?" Dromeda asked and to that Harry nodded.

Then they both had lunch and he started recounting his tales on his recent cases which occurred in the last few years.

* * *

 _ **Ron Weasley's House (After Holidays)-**_

Harry spent the most part of the Christmas and New Year with Teddy and Andromeda Tonks in their house and he had a lot of fun with his teenage godson. Teddy and him made it a point to visit tourist destinations all around Europe and enjoyed the free time and he didn't hesitate in the slightest and bought anything and everything his godson asked for, only to get tongue lashed by Andromeda, but he didn't mind. After the holidays he took his godson to King's Cross and gave him a proper send-off and gave him some advice to have some fun with girls and things.

Right now Harry was going to meet his former friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Weasley in their residence before going back to Romania. Ron's house was in the heart of a muggle settlement; it looked like a small but cosy house from the outside just like _privet drive_. He walked towards the house via the main street and knocked on the door, a few minutes later Ron opened the door and was astonished to see his long-lost friend.

"Harry, is that you?" Ron asked still surprised to see Harry.

"Yes, Ron it's me." Harry replied smiling.

"Come in…" Ron invited and he walked in and he saw that Ron was dressed for work and he guessed that Ron was getting ready to go to work.

"Is this a bad time? If it is, then I'm really sorry for intruding." He apologised, while Ron waved it off.

"Just getting ready for work…" Ron said and walked upstairs and then a few minutes later Ron came back down into the living room and sat next to him on the settee.

"Ron, I came here to apologize about what happened between us and for why I left without as much as a good bye, so I'm sorry. I will be happy to start over again." He said breaking the awkward silence.

"It's okay Harry, I shouldn't have reacted like that either; I just let my anger get the best of me when you said that you broke up with Ginny, so its fine." Ron said and he nodded even though he noticed that Ron wasn't even slightly sincere in it.

"Where are Hermione and your daughter Rose?" He asked to change the subject.

"They are both staying in the Burrows with my mother to help her with things." Ron replied being straight-faced, but he sensed another magical presence in the house and also with him being a 'Master Legilimens' he easily noticed that Ron was lying to him. He kept his face impassive and nodded without betraying any emotions.

"So I will see you later, Ron, maybe we can catch a drink later?" He asked to make it sound normal and stood up to move.

"Sure Harry, I'll be happy to…" Ron said with a smile and he sensed that Ron felt relieved as he walked out of the house.

Harry Potter wasn't by any means a fool, he waited in the neighbourhood until Ron left to work and then he walked to the backside of the house and found a small garden and a few trees. He quickly hid himself behind one of the trees and waiting for the right opportunity to check what was going on. The garden looked neglected and the hedges needed a good trimming, meaning that nobody was looking after the backyard, but the windows and the door all looked very clean. Why would someone care for one and neglect the other, because both came under the same category of cleaning for appearance's sake. And within an hour the back door opened and a tired looking Hermione with bruises everywhere and busted lips and bags under her eyes slowly walked out. He sluggishly emerged from behind the tree with a shocked expression on his face, as he made himself visible and stood a fair distance away, straight across her. It took her a moment to notice him and as soon as she did, she looked at him for a long minute and broke down and started crying.

"Harry…" She said in a weak voice, which pained him.

"Hermione…?" He said impassively and walked beside her and he slowly lifted her up and guided her into the house.

He went to the kitchen and made a pot of tea for both himself and Hermione. And he gave her a cup of tea and sat down facing her and drank some tea waiting for her to begin, but he noticed that she was hesitating to begin, so he asked trying to facilitate the process.

"What happened to you?" He asked calmly. Hermione didn't answer, but her lips quirked and then finally she sniffed a few times and answered.

"It's Ron…" She said and he immediately understood what was going on.

"Since when…?" He asked calmly and impassively.

"Harry, please promise me that you won't do anything to Ron, It'll ruin everything." Hermione almost begged.

"Since…when?" He asked again taking another sip from his tea cup, while insisting the question.

"Five years." She replied and that caused him to lose control, as he stood up and threw the cup in rage and this caused Hermione to start crying again, but this time more fiercely.

"Explain… How? When? Why?" He almost demanded, but since he didn't get any answer he calmed down and kneeled on one knee right in front of her and looked in her eye and asked softly.

"Please…?"

"It started five years ago, just after Rosie's birth, when we got into an argument, which I started about how my parents must have an active role in Rosie's childhood. At first it began as a small pinch or a slap, but then our sex life got rough then slowly it progressed into outright abuse. When I tried to defend myself, he took my wand away and snapped it and then it got even worse as the regular beatings began." Hermione said, while still crying and sniffing.

"Why didn't you just get a divorce?" He asked in an annoyed tone, irritated by this weak Hermione, because the girl he loved was a bossy and confident witch and she was not there.

"Rosie is a Weasley by blood and now with Rosie's generation the Weasley family has become a Noble House, because Rosie is the tenth generation Weasley. If I divorce him now then they will get custody of my daughter and I will never see her again, because I'm in no condition to financially support her." Hermione explained logically.

"Financially support her? What happened to your job in the ministry?" He asked in genuine surprise, because he had no idea that Hermione quit her job and he never would've assumed it, because Hermione loved her job more than anything.

"Ron told me to quit it after we married, he said that I would have to take an active role in the family and I agreed after a long discussion." She explained her situation and he was getting angrier by the minute.

"And you agreed?" He asked in disbelief that Hermione agreed to quit her job.

"He told me it was only for a temporary period and that I can start again and I believed him." She replied in a disappointed tone, where the disappointment was directed at herself.

"With or without the Weasley family being a Noble House, you could have just asked Arthur to nullify the magical marriage bond between you and Ron and then you could've made some preparations to get your daughter back." He asked now thinking seriously of ways to override magical laws.

"Right now if I ask for nullification of my marriage bond and for the custody of my daughter, then they will delay it for years for it to transition into a ministry hearing. I'm not letting my daughter with them and escape, while they feed false details about how I betrayed Ron and the family and ran away. Rosie will hate me for it and I will kill myself if something like that happens." Hermione almost screamed, but it voiced out to be like a hoarse cough.

"Did you try to tell this to Molly or Arthur?" He asked again.

"I tried to write a letter to Arthur once and he obviously showed it to Molly, so it didn't see the light of the day and when Ron knew about what I did he punished me again." She replied weakly. Meanwhile Harry cursed himself for thinking that Molly will be any different than how she was to him.

"Did you try to contact anyone in the ministry or the _prophet_ to tell what's actually happening in the households of Weasley family?" He suggested another way to get away.

"Yes, but most people in the _prophet_ respect Arthur, so they won't do anything, and with Ron being the 'Junior Undersecretary in the Ministry' nothing goes past him, so it's useless. I have tried to do everything Harry, nothing works." Hermione replied again in a low tone.

"Have you tried to go away for a while and let things cool down, if it makes you feel any better, then take your daughter with you, we can work on the legal matters later on." He said confidently, because he did it once too many times regarding his own problems.

"Rosie and me being a part of the Noble House Weasley, they will immediately send aurors to find me and Rosie and I'm not sure that I can hide well in this condition, and to put my daughter through such an experience is something I don't like or prefer to do." Hermione replied again beating his suggestion.

"Well what choice do you have now other than that?" He asked a little more than annoyed.

"Why do you think my daughter spends most of the time in a year in the Burrows than here, Harry? Why do you think she isn't attending school right now?" She asked back fiercely, but still with tears in her eyes.

"They know that I'll try something like that, so that they can pin it all on me and make Ron marry another girl who have made marriage contract with the Weasleys, they don't want me they only want my brains to inherit into any children I may have with Ron. And I certainly won't give them the satisfaction of their plans coming into fruition." Hermione said a little egoistically and he smiled briefly as he remembered the girl he used to love was somewhere in there.

With that she slowly stood up with her tea cup and walked to the kitchen, so he walked to the cup he threw and cleaned it all up with a flick of his wand and he picked the cup from the ground and walked to the kitchen. But when he handed the cup to her, something caught his eye and he immediately caught hold of her palm and slowly moved her sleeve and saw bruises in her elbow that's when he saw contusions in her neck and he checked in her neck and saw hand prints due to choking. His anger flared and he calmed himself by actively using Occulumency.

"That bloody git, I am going to snap his neck the next time I see him." He cursed inaudibly under his breath, but Hermione heard him anyway and gave a weak smile, but immediately caught his arm and took him upstairs.

When they reached what looked like Rose's room, Hermione went and opened a closet and there was a thread in the right top corner in the back wall of the closet and she pulled it open and removed a small piece of wooden plank revealing a hole and then she reached into the hole with her hand and opened a lock from the inside and then she removed the entire closet's back wall which revealed a secret doorway. Hermione walked into the doorway and he followed and he saw an entire room inside, he found books lots of it and a table where many parchments of notes and other research items lying around. And then he saw the books he published which were preserved in a glass box.

"You bought my books?" He asked with a smile pointing to the set of books in the glass box.

"They are one of the best-selling books in the market, Harry." She replied as she tried to smile again, but couldn't as she was in obvious pain.

Then she took a wand out from the hidden drawer and gave it a swish and then the door closed immediately.

"You told me that Ron snapped your wand." He asked in an obvious tenor.

"Yes he did, but I convinced Luna to buy me another wand. It's not a perfect match but it's better than nothing and now I'm using it, but only in here and nowhere else, not even for daily chores." She replied a little disappointed.

"Luna as in Luna Lovegood…?" He asked to confirm.

"She is actually the one that helped me with finding the books and materials for my research." Hermione said as she thought of her helpful friend whom she thought to be the most unlikely of person, but still became the most treasured friend.

"You have been busy Hermione, finding a way to get out of this marriage by bending the old pureblood rules, I assume?" He asked smiling genuinely, because until now he was under the impression that the Hermione he knew was lost, but he was wrong she was still in there fighting back with confidence. And that's when he saw her fidgeting as he spoke and now he was suspicious of what Hermione was doing in here.

"You are researching about magical laws right?" He asked uncertainly this time around.

"No Harry…, I am working on a modified Hour-Reversal Charm." Hermione replied uncertainly just like he asked.

"Time-travel, you are working on…., you are working on time-travel. Are you out of your bloody mind, you must be mental to try something like that." He started berating her even after understanding how much Ron must have hurt her for her to think that time-travel was the only way to escape, but he stopped when she held her hand to silence him.

"I have no other way out than this Harry and you know this to be true. Until someone changes the laws in the ministry regarding pureblood families' influence and powers I have no way out. And I am pretty sure that no one in the ministry is ready to do that…" Hermione retaliated back strongly.

"You are the one who told me that time is a powerful thing and meddling with it will cause horrible things to happen to witches and wizards who try it. Now you want to go and break this rule even after knowing what may lay ahead might be lethal." He asked dubiously.

"Harry, I am not trying to physically transport myself to the past, I am just going to project my memories and soul into the past." Hermione replied and that actually caught his attention.

"Explain…"

"Harry, going back in time where your original still being in the same plane will cause disastrous paradoxes in time-space… So I am going to send my memories back in time to my younger self's body, which will be enough to get out of the marriage and find someone else or be unmarried and to continue my goals of freeing the house elves from servitude and stripping off the old magical pureblood related laws." Hermione now had his complete attention while he was thinking about the possibilities.

After almost twenty minutes of intense thinking and discerning, he finally replied, "This may work, but still the risks are too great. Have you tested this before?" He asked her half convinced by Hermione's argument.

"I tried it once and sent my memory back successfully, but just a week into the past and it didn't cost me much magic to do it either." She replied happily.

"By my calculations if I empty my magical core and my life force then I will be able to send my memories back in time by five and half years." She explained her calculations as she sat down beside the table and handed her a written parchment.

"Then send yourself back and undo this mess, you'll be pregnant at that time and you can put some rules and agreements in marriage between you and Ron, things will work out perfectly." He replied being almost happy about the news.

"No Harry, I don't want to be married to Ron at all, I don't want this life. And we were married for more than a year before I conceived, I would at least want seven years to undo the mess completely and I know that's impossible with my magical core." Hermione replied in a clearly disappointed tone.

"Can't you go back to how long back as you can and do the same spell again and go back another two years or so…?" He asked her the obvious question.

"We only have one shot at this, because the amount of ripples you cause in the time-space stream due to this spell is phenomenal and it'll take a lot of time to stabilize again. Besides your mind will not be able to handle the stress again unless and until you have gotten a few years of recursive therapy." Hermione shot down his idea immediately.

They both thought for a while and then Hermione began, "Harry I have an idea, but this will include you too." Hermione asked waiting for permission.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused and dubiously.

Hermione took her wand and used a detection charm to analyse the size and strength of Harry's magical core and when she completed she looked stunned, but she immediately hid her astonishment and started calculating the time he could project back into.

"Harry with your magical core you can go back by almost thirteen years and a few months at maximum." Hermione replied to him happily.

"So?" He asked still confused of why Hermione measured his magical core.

"If you send yourself back anywhere between thirteen years and go back with my memories and show it to my younger self and then I will be able to undo everything and totally avoid Ron and the entire marriage." Hermione said clearly excited about the possibility.

"What is the benefit in it for me?" He asked jokingly, but he never expected Hermione to think hard about it.

"Hey that was a joke…" He said, but still Hermione didn't stop thinking.

"It's only natural or you to ask Harry, you have achieved many things in the past thirteen years and it will all be undone and you certainly can't leave your godson alone." Hermione said saddened, but suddenly Harry had another idea.

"Hey is there a way for me to go back more than thirteen years like during our first year in Hogwarts." He asked immediately finding it as an amazing opportunity to save countless lives and plans to kill Voldemort immediately after his resurrection.

"Why do you want to go back that much into the past?" She asked now shocked and confused.

"We can save many lives which include Cedric, Sirius, Tonks, Remus, Fred, Moody, Dobby and many more and for once in my life I will have peace." He replied almost pleadingly for it to be true.

"No, you can't, but we can, if we do it together if we use both our magical cores then we can send all our memories much back to the earlier years in Hogwarts, but still first year is a bit more, because we will need to send both our memories so twice the baggage and almost half more than in time-space." Hermione explained and sat down as she started calculating.

"We can send both our memories back to almost to the beginning of our third year maybe by the end of second year in Hogwarts. This may actually work." Hermione said now excited again.

"So we both will have our memories and almost everything we currently possess anything related to our minds in our twelve year old self, we can plan ahead with the knowledge and defeat Voldemort before things go too much out of hand and you will be able to avoid your life with Ron." He summarised the use and she smiled at him.

"This is why I love you…" He blurted out in excitement and the look of shock on Hermione's face said that he messed up big time.

"Love you like a sister…" He immediately recovered and he was relieved as he saw Hermione nodding impassively, but Hermione knew that there was more to what he said, so she made a note in her mind that she would investigate into it if she gets back to when she was thirteen.

"So we will talk about this tomorrow and make preparations for the Time-Warp later." He said trying to change the subject.

"We should do it later." Hermione said and then she opened the hidden door and both walked out after securing the entire place and then he did a few healing charms on her bruises on her elbow and neck.

After that they talked for a while and then he walked out of the house and bid his goodbye and apparated away to his home as it was almost time for Ron to come back home.

* * *

 _ **Few Days Later-**_

For the next few days he visited and talked to Hermione about the Time–Warp charm and how to refine it and what their plans and objective would be if it worked. Hermione suggested that they showed each other their memories just in case one of them makes it back and the other doesn't and they feel a need to convince the other. Hermione showed to Harry her memories regarding Ron's abuse and marriage and Rose's birth using a pensieve, while he showed her his adventures and his knowledge. Finally they fixed the date to the coming Friday and then they planned as such that nobody will follow them using their notes and find their bodies if it worked. That Friday Harry walked into Ron's house only to find Hermione waiting for him on the couch, while an unconscious Ron floating near the top of the room.

"You hexed him?" He asked her in a surprised tone.

"This bloody git deserved what he got for all the things he did to me for the last five years." Hermione said without an ounce of hesitation.

"And what did you do?" He asked uncertainly really not interested to know but asked anyway.

"Let's just say that he will never be able to reproduce or use his private part again and I obliviated all the good memories he ever had." She said with a heartless grin on her face.

" _Important Note: Don't ever make her angry."_ He mused to himself.

"Well shall we go…?" He asked and lent her his hand and she took it and with that they both walked out of the house and apparated to Harry's house located in Scotland countryside. Harry prepared the house or the upcoming event, because the house didn't exist in any records in the wizarding world, as he bought it from a muggle business man under the name Harrison Evans.

Once they reached there, she went inside while he cast wards and charms around to secure his house. Hermione went in happily and found the place spotless and clean and the lunch was ready and placed around as they went into the kitchen.

"Kreacher…" He called out.

"Yes, master…" The old elf replied to his call.

"Kreacher, you've outdone yourself again." He said to the elf which appeared as soon as he called. The elf beamed at the praise and did all the work in profound happiness.

They both sat down at the table and ate silently as they had too much on their minds, Hermione was thinking about Rose and many other things that will be undone while Harry was excited about the idea of saving everyone and finally finding peace, but also worried about Teddy and Andromeda. And both were nervous too, he was nervous because of the doubt that if the Charm will really work, while she was thinking about the slip her best friend did when he said that he loved her.

"We will do the charm tomorrow, because we both will be perfectly rested with a good night's sleep and then we will try it early in the morning." He suggested and she nodded at it agreeing.

After lunch they talked and went through all the plans they discussed again, just in case for the worst case scenario. And that night both went to sleep with hopes and dreams for the past and its resultant future.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

"Kreacher, if our bodies go limp and we die after the completion of this charm then take our bodies and lay it in the place we prepared and preserve it with preservation charms. And then pledge your allegiance to Andromeda Tonks and her grandson Edward Lupin, but do not speak a word about this to anyone and even to them, even if they ordered you to do it." He instructed and the elf looked tearful at his command, but still nodded.

"Hermione, have you burned all of your notes and research and cleared out your place in Ron's house?" He asked to reassure himself and she nodded.

Both stood facing each other in the middle of the ritualistic circle and held their wand and started saying the long incantation while breathing steadily and being relaxed. Finally they locked their hands around each other in a tight hug and held their respective wands upwards and pushed as much as magic they could into it and finally their magical core was exhausted and their life force drained and the lights in their eyes vanished and they both fell limp.

Both of their souls were gone into a timeless dimension searching for their past to settles upon and begin again.

* * *

 **This is my first try in a Harry potter fanfiction, so bear with me if there are any mistakes. And if you have any ideas please give me reviews.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Thank you…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

* * *

 _ **Nineteen Years in the Past (Current Present)-**_

Suddenly Harry went completely still for a few minutes while ignoring the porridge he was eating with Hagrid in _Leaky Cauldron._ And then he started looking around frantically for a few minutes and then once he got a good look of his surroundings and then he looked down and found himself as a child again. He went still and forcefully redirected his attention to his previously neglected porridge and he started eating again, but there was an unseen smile on his face which indicated that Hermione's charm succeeded in bringing their memories back to the past, that's when he noticed that Hagrid was sitting beside him.

Then a small frown came to his face, because he couldn't remember any instance where he ate porridge with Hagrid during his second year in Leaky Cauldron of all places. And that got him to observe his surrounding for the most infinitesimal of details and he noticed all of his school books, stationaries, robes and Hedwig in a cage. And suddenly it became very clear that he was in fact in his first year before going to Hogwarts and not in the second year. Since Hermione claimed that the time period of their second year was the maximum length they could project into and that confused him greatly. How could that be possible, because if Hermione told him that was impossible then it was impossible, as he trusted her completely? The thought of Hermione brought out his worries, as he was now worried if she made it back to this timeline successfully.

"You ar e' quiet one! Ye'h Harry…" Hagrid asked breaking him out of his musing and Harry looked stunned for a second and then he calmed down.

"If it's no' much truble" Hagrid spoke again and this time he got his composure.

Harry didn't answer, because he was in deep thought and he already knew all the things he need to know, but to appease Hagrid he faked a grin and said.

"I'm fine Hagrid"

Meanwhile he was planning that if his meeting with the Weasleys were orchestrated then he would bypass it and could keep himself out of Dumbledore's manipulations. And tomorrow he would meet Hermione and he would know if his best friend came with him or not, so he decided to go on a secret trip to Diagon alley before going to sleep just after his dinner.

After his trip to Diagen alley he came back to his room and laid there thinking, as many questions loomed over his mind, _'She told me it's impossible to go beyond of what our magic allows to go'_.

" _Then how am I here in this time period…?"_

" _Did she make it back safely or was she stranded somewhere along the way?"_

" _Please be safe, Hermione!"_ He prayed silently.

He decided to keep his mind off of disturbing topics since worrying about it won't help, so he decided to evaluate himself of skills and abilities. He meditated for a while and a frown started to form on his face, as he found that his Occulumency and Legilimency skills were out of reach in his current form, his mind wasn't synchronized with his physical body yet. He knew how to do both of his previously mastered skills, but it was like he had been out of practice for a very long time and like he would need some extensive practice to get back in form. And all of his other skills were temporarily out of reach, but he had a plan to regain them back with time and until then he will lay low and observe. Physically he was stunted and he would have to correct that problem soon or else he will not be able to handle the upcoming problems.

And most importantly he will have to restrain himself from changing many things, because now he has the advantage of foresight and losing it was not an option. But he will have to wait until he's reached the school to start making plans, because all of the required resources are in the school and he will have to play this complex game carefully, as the safety of a lot of lives depends on his planning.

* * *

 _ **King's Cross Station-**_

Harry was walking towards the platform with Hagrid, but when Hagrid looked at the pocket watch and checked the time he panicked.

"Is that the time, Ye'h Harry! Dumbledore will want to see his…, Dumbledore will want to see me. Stick to your ticket Harry it's very important, I'll see ya." Hagrid said and disappeared.

While Harry took the ticket and walked straight to platform nine and three-quarters and walked in through the barrier without waiting or anyone, as he had no intention of meeting the Weasleys just yet. And when he reached the train, he immediately walked through the crowd and he boarded the train with his trunk and walked until he found an empty compartment and sat there silently. He took out a potions book from the pile of books he bought yesterday night from _'Flourish and Blotts'_ in his late night excursion and started reading. The train started moving slowly but he didn't care about anything, as he seemed like he was too absorbed into reading, but he was alert.

Harry was thinking about preventing Quirrell from getting his hands on the Sorcerer's stone, but he was also interested in examining it due to him being a Master Alchemist in the future. But he had no intention of attracting attention or trouble, or more shortly gaining any more fame than he had now. Because during the hunting period as an Investigative Auror, he learned a few lessons which included that transparency and fame can only make things difficult in the long run. So he would need to keep himself hidden, because the minute you show your face to the crowd then they get a target to attack and that was something he would like to avoid this time around.

He was sitting alone as patiently as he can but with little success, because he wasn't used to sitting around this idly, as he always found some work to do, so in the end he decided to meditate. A couple of hours later someone slid the door open and when he looked he saw a bushy haired girl standing there and looking at him curiously, he looked at her and held his breath waiting for her to recognize him and talk to him, but instead she asked.

"Have you seen a toad, a boy named Neville has lost one?" His mind was working overtime, because Hermione Granger was asking him the exact same thing that she asked him last time with a little exception of one Ronald Weasley not being there with him.

His heart pained as he desperately used his diminished but available Legilimency on her, only to find out that she did not have a clue on who he was, or of the events in the future and he immediately understood that she didn't make it back in time with him.

" _She told me that the magic was enough for both of our memories to be projected back in time, did she lie?"_ He mused desperately.

" _I am sure that her life forced was drained, but how come that she hasn't come back?"_ He thought hurriedly.

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he restrained himself by calming himself down with his almost ineffective Occulumency, but he only succeeded partially as the pain was still unbearable. It took him a few minutes to calm himself and this is where the years' worth emotional training helped him to act normally and obliviously.

"Sorry I haven't, miss…" He replied acting as normally as he can.

"Granger, Hermione Granger and you are?" She asked curiously, as she walked in and sat down across him.

"Harry, Harry Potter it's a pleasure to meet you!" He replied and shook her hand and it took him a great effort to restrain himself from hugging her.

"Holy cricket, so it's really true that you are in this year's class, I've read a lot about you Mr. Potter." She answered with a broad smile.

"Please call me Harry, I'm sorry but I am not quite comfortable with my stories, because I don't know what really happened that night." He replied politely.

"Well there are many books regarding your tales…" She replied still excited about meeting him.

"I have to read them one of these days, just to know how much of it is true…" He replied smiling at her and that's when she noticed that he was reading.

"What are you reading…, Harry?" Hermione asked with a little difficulty calling him by his name, because this was all new for her too, but she asked as her curiosity got the best of her.

"It's a potions book that I bought; you see I'm muggle raised while my parents are magical, so I am not quite integrated into the wizarding world yet. So I thought that I would need to work extra hard to keep up with the other magical children of our age!" He replied quite comfortably, because he needed to get her to talk about her life and he knew that for it to work he would have to give something from his personal life.

"Well my parents are muggles and I'm the first witch in the family, so this is all new to me as well…" She said hesitantly and he could see that she was uncomfortable, because she was on guard.

Harry knew all about her insecurities of being bullied and not having friends, as he had her memories, so he decided to start breaking her out of her shell and he struck up a conversation to make her feel comfortable around him.

"Apparently my aunt and uncle completely detest the wizarding world…, so I didn't know about the wizarding world until a few days ago, until then I was their servant of sorts. So…, to find that I had parents who loved me and me having a story behind my life was quite a shock indeed!" He gave up something emotional to get something from her and Hermione was shocked to find that one of the most famous person in the wizarding world has suffered so much.

"I'm really sorry Harry, I didn't know…." Hermione was cut off by Harry.

"It's okay Hermione. Now would you prefer a book?" He asked drastically changing the subject but he was careful in his approach. With that he opened the trunk and showed a pile of carefully arranged books and Hermione was completely entranced by the display of books, so she reached out and took a Charms book and started reading.

"Do you know any spells, Hermione?" He asked her as she was reading.

"I have tried a few simple ones myself and they have all worked for me quite well." She said quite happily, but she was hesitant to demonstrate as she considered him as a very talented wizard and doing a spell and embarrassing herself was not an option for her, but her bossy attitude urged her to demonstrate.

"Can you show me one?" He asked again as he needed her to be confident and she nodded and took her wand and pointed to his glasses and said.

" _Oculus Reparo!"_ She said and did the mending charm and successfully repaired his glasses.

"That's bloody brilliant, Hermione." He complimented her as he checked his repaired glass and that clearly made her happy as there was a small smile on her face as she began reading again.

Then she suddenly stood up and asked, "Can I keep this book for a while, I will return it to you safely."

"Please be my guest…" He replied and with that she walked out of the compartment, but she halted near the door and said.

"You should get changed, we will be reaching soon." She said shyly and walked away with a smile.

Hermione was clearly happy that there was a potential friend for her and that Harry didn't mind of her being a muggleborn witch, as she literally skipped through to her compartment. Harry on the other hand was thinking quite extensively, because he was in doubt of if he should show her the memories of her future self, but doubted his decision because he can only give her his memories and not her experiences or her feelings. Hermione wasn't mature enough to understand what it is to have a real relationship with a boy and definitely not what it is to have a married life or to be a mother of a child. So he doubted that she may not be able to handle feelings which are really strong for her age, maybe in a few years he will confide in with her, but until then he will have to be patient and handle the situation on his own. He was sure that the memories will only scare her, not help her to make decisions that will change her life.

* * *

 _ **Hogsmeade-**_

Harry was surprised that Ron didn't come looking for him while in the train and was standing with his brothers, as he got off from the train. He walked with the other first years and stood among the crowd who all stood in front of Hagrid.

"Al firs' years this way, with me…" Hagrid said and gathered all the first years.

"Hi Hagrid…" He greeted the half giant.

"Hi ye'h Harry" Hagrid greeted him back.

With that they were all lead to the boats and everyone started boarding the boats in order to reach the school.

"No more than four per boat!" Hagrid instructed them all.

He got on a boat and sat down, slowly Hermione joined him with a smile and followed by Susan Bones and Neville Longbottom and then the boat started moving. Everyone was looking at the castle with awe, but he smiled and waited patiently for the boat ride to end.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts-**_

They were all waiting in the stairs for the sorting to begin and professor McGonagall had instructed them to wait. And just as he expected Draco Malfoy walked to him asking to be friends with him while he was talking to Hermione.

"So it's true Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts" Draco said loudly and walked towards him while all the other children were murmuring amongst themselves.

"I am Draco Malfoy, this is Crabbe and Goyle" Draco said in a clearly superior tone pointing to the two large but plump boys behind him.

"You will soon understand that pure-blood wizarding families like us are better off with each other than being with mudbloods like her, I can help you there" Draco suggested lending him his hand while Hermione looked torn and clearly expected him to take the hand.

"Thank you for your concern Draco, but I think I am quite capable of deciding that…myself" he said with a smile and he shook his hand and dismissed the blonde idiot.

Malfoy had nothing to say, so he walked to the other side sulking, then McGonagall reappeared and explained everything about the houses in the lead them into the Great Hall. All the first years were slowly called and each walked and stood before a stool with a hat on it and he smiled fondly, because to him it was like Déjà vu. Slowly names were called and he noted Hermione, Neville and Ron being in Gryffindor and Malfoy and his goons being placed in Slytherin finally his name came up.

"Harry Potter!" McGonagall called his name and the entire school started murmuring. With that he walked to the stool and sat while McGonagall placed the hat in his head.

"Difficult, very difficult" the Hat said out loud.

" _Seems like you have come back in time young one?"_ The hat conversed with him in his mind.

" _Yes and please don't mention this to Dumbledore, because it's his decisions that caused the mess and that is what I'm currently trying to clean up."_ He replied to the hat.

" _So Albus is the one that caused this eh, interesting…"_ the Sorting Hat asked him.

" _What are your goals and what are you going to do with the girl who couldn't come?"_ the Sorting Hat questioned him.

" _Save as many lives as possible and destroy the Dark Lord and hopefully to put an end to Dumbledore's schemes. And I'm alone for now because Hermione is not ready yet, but she will be soon…"_ He replied confidently.

" _Why should I trust you Harry Potter?"_ The Hat asked him the obvious question.

" _You can't and I don't want you to either, but I am requesting you to keep quiet for a while until I reveal it on my own terms. And please place me in Gryffindor house…"_ He requested the Sorting hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat placed him and the entire Gryffindor table applauded. And then McGonagall took the hat from his head and then he walked to the table and sat across Hermione and smiled at her which she returned.

His scar started to sting a little, but he didn't bother looking at Snape or Quirrell so he ignored the pain and started eating slowly and cleanly, but lavishly like Ron, because he was bloody hungry. After Dinner the entire school sung the ridiculous school song under the request of 'Headmaster Dumbledore' and then all the Gryffindor first years were lead to their Dorms, but on their way he turned to Hermione and inquired her.

"Hermione, do you know what subjects we are going to study and do you have a planner?" He asked her, because he knew that Hermione was the one who was so intent on studies.

"I have the planner and all the subjects with the timetable and the respective professors who are going to teach what. I will give you a copy of it tomorrow morning." Hermione said happily.

"I really appreciate it!" He replied with a smile and she nodded and they both entered the Common room.

"Boys Dormitory is on the left and the Girls are on the right, all of your belongings will have already arrived up in your rooms." Percy Weasley instructed them and with that they all of them went to their respective dormitories to retire for the night.

Harry sat at the window while thinking about many things like how everything is going to start again, but he had confidence in himself that this time he will make things right, but in its entirety he still felt lost. Harry then thought about one particular thing, _'Parsletongue'_ he lost that ability after the Horcrux inside him was destroyed. It could have helped him so much during the time he was busy subduing Chimaeras; instead he could have used it to talk to the tail and gotten its permission to study them. He regretted not memorizing how to talk to snakes via Parsletongue and he had to listen to Ron's boasting of how he copied his ability and used it to open the 'Chamber of secrets' for an entire year after war. This time he will memorize it by talking to snakes and learning how to talk and how to understand them individually and he will not take it for granted.

* * *

Next morning he woke up early and after cleaning up he dressed up in his robes and walked down to the common room and found Hermione waiting impatiently and when he greeted her she smiled and started talking to him about the day's classes and gave him a copy of the planner.

"Today's Tuesday so we will have Herbology and Defense against Dark Arts for the first two periods. We better hurry and have breakfast, and then we will be the first ones to reach the class." Hermione said and almost skipped to the Great Hall and he followed her while smiling all the way due to the girl's enthusiasm.

The day went fine except for how he found it boring, but he noticed the subtle details he missed last time, how the professors handled themselves and the finer details of handling Herbs. D.A.D.A class was a joke, because Quirrell/ Voldemort acted as if he was afraid of his own shadow, but still as a good student he took notes. After that the entire day was free and he spent the first few hours with Hermione in the library and then he walked out of the school to meditate and get the hang of his internal magic and talked to a tree snake near the trees surrounding the school.

Herbology lessons were good and he did particularly well in the subject, but he wasn't fascinated by the subject, hence he didn't give his full attention to it. But that didn't give him any reason to slack off, so he tried his level best and got good results in Herbology and a good name from 'Professor Sprout'.

Transfiguration class held his interest and professor McGonagall was impressed by his skill and showered him with house points and Hermione was the only one in the class who gave him some competition, but still he held the upper hand. He helped Hermione in spell casting even if she didn't need any and also helped Neville Longbottom to develop passable results. Changing Matchsticks into Needles were one of the easiest in the category, so helping Neville by making him visualize the matchstick as a needle and insinuating result was a new experience.

Potions was a subject he liked and did very well, but he detested the class because of Snape and even after knowing why Snape did what he did, he couldn't forgive him for what he was going to do to him due to Snape's hatred for his father. So he answered Snape's every single question, infuriating the former Death Eater to no end. And he never made a single mistake in his potions which obviously didn't give the man any reason to target him and helping Neville to get good results also became a good habit, because it was like rubbing it in Snape's face. Finally Snape assumed that Harry inherited his mother's skills and attitude when it came to academics, so he reduced his attempts to bother him and targeted more on Ron, Seamus and Dean.

After a particularly exhausting potions class, he and Hermione went to meet Hagrid and he introduced Hermione to Hagrid. And just like last time he saw the article of Gringotts break-in of vault 713 lying on the table in Hagrid's hut, but he didn't question the news or events instead he kept quiet about the whole issue and didn't instill curiosity into his friend's minds. He had a plan to deal with Professor Quirrell/Lord Voldemort and when the time comes he will handle the possessed man personally.

Charms professor Flitwick was enthralled with his abilities in Charm classes, as he performed most of the basic charms in his first try. Answering questions regarding the science behind charmwork and performing Charms without much difficulty got him the praises from the Charms professor. Still now Astronomy and flying were all theory and didn't go into a practical approach. So he waited patiently for the classes to get more fun and games.

The days started to blur after finding the room of requirement and he used it as his personal training room. He trained in there extensively in his Dark Arts, to get the hang of the dueling stances and movements; he also practiced Occulumency and built his mental defenses styling it as a 'three wall barrier'. He designed the first defense into a complex Mansion with so many rooms that you could get lost into and the second defense as a compound wall around the house with so much security making it impenetrable and the final stage in the form of the 'Fidelius Charm' that surrounds the compound wall and the Mansion and the secret keeper being secured inside the House. So to others his mind was unreachable and invisible unless he himself comes out to visibility. Even with this he was not satisfied by his mental defense, so he meditated and strengthened his mental barriers every day.

He didn't have much luck in Legilimency as he didn't have any mind to penetrate into, but he knew the basics and he tried to project his magic outside non-verbally and wandlessly but with little success. Though he sorted out his memories and went through his knowledge again and again for maximum retention, he found them painful to watch his worst experiences.

He became a friend of sorts with Ron again as he was one of his dorm-mates, but he kept a decent distance from Ron's habits of slacking off and his time wasting attitude. Ron often invited him to a game of chess or exploding snaps, but he politely refused and instead he spent most of time with Hermione studying and preparing for classes either in the common room or in the library. He still wanted to become a namesake friend with Ron, but he didn't because he didn't want Ron to influence his decisions due to the Weasley's overly degenerative attitude and playfulness. He studied so furiously, it eventually became his next favorite thing after Quidditch and getting tips from Neville regarding Herbology which only helped Neville's confidence and most of the teachers were on good terms with Harry Potter.

* * *

Finally practical approach on flying lessons came, but they were paired up with Slytherin first years.

"Okay, in this class you will be learning how to fly on a broom." Madam Hooch announced loudly.

"Everyone stand on the left side of the broom and stretch your right hand over it and say 'up'." Madam Hooch announced the instructions.

"'UP'" he said loudly among others and the broom flew into his hand on his very first try which earned him a surprised look from Hermione, but he wasn't even remotely surprised. Draco and Ron got theirs in their third and fourth try while Hermione's broom didn't levitate, but kept rolling on the ground on her command and he found it amusing. And finally when everyone eventually got their brooms Madam Hooch said, "Now I want you all to mount on the broom and slowly levitate a foot from the ground and then lean forward and touch down."

Unfortunately for Neville his broom took him higher and flew him to all the places and crashed onto a wall, while Neville fell down dislocating his shoulder and dropping him remembrall orb in the process.

"Keep your legs firmly on the ground; if I see one broom in the air then you will be on the train back home before you can say Quidditch." Madam Hooch warned before taking Neville to the infirmary.

And like last time Draco took Neville's remembrall and started flaunting about it among other Slytherin students.

"Malfoy, will you please return it to Neville in the infirmary?" He asked politely.

"Or what Potter?" Draco taunted.

"Nothing Draco, just give it to me and I will return it to Neville in the infirmary!" He replied and Malfoy ignored him and said.

"Maybe I'll put this in a tree where the squib will never find it…" Malfoy climbed on the broom and flew away in the air. Last time he found the entire incident quite infuriating, but now he found it to be rather amusing. He mounted on his broom and aimed at Draco Malfoy who was thinking that he couldn't fly at the moment.

"Harry no, Professor Hooch specifically told us not to attempt flying." Hermione warned, but he didn't heed on her warning.

Harry flew over to Draco and placed himself straight across Malfoy. And before Malfoy could even taunt him, he flew close to Malfoy and caught hold of Malfoy's broom and spun him, Malfoy lost control of his broom, but still managed to regain control of his broom and steady himself, but then he looked at Harry clearly furious and a little unnerved.

"Do you want to be a hero Potter? Then catch!" Draco said as he threw the remembrall towards the castle.

Harry already anticipating this readied himself and just as the orb left Malfoy's hand he shot off towards it. And he overtook the orb halfway and caught a hold of it a foot from the castle wall quite easily and then he spun in mid-air and slowly floated to the ground by tilting the broom slightly and landed himself perfectly. And just like he expected, before anyone could even congratulate him due to the perfect catch professor McGonagall walked out to the courtyard and said.

"Mr. Potter, follow me now." McGonagall said and walked away into the castle and he trailed behind her, Hermione was scared and concerned while the Slytherin first years were all sniggering.

Professor McGonagall led him to fourth year D.A.D.A class and she interrupted Quirrell's class and asked.

"Professor Quirrell may I borrow Mr. Wood for a moment please!" McGonagall asked and when Quirrell nodded to the Transfiguration Professor introduced him to the Gryffindor team captain Oliver Wood.

"Mr. Wood, I've found you a seeker." McGonagall said in a clearly happy tone. With that both looked at him and he did his best to act like he was confused by the whole issue. While Wood looked excited at first, but then he started grinning like a mad man and that really scared him.

* * *

The very next day, Oliver Wood gave him a private Quidditch lesson, about the game and its rules and guidelines. He being the seeker of Gryffindor team somehow leaked to the school's populace courtesy of the Weasley twins and everyone were talking about him being the youngest seeker of the century. And within the end of the week he was put through a grinder called Quidditch practice and this caused a certain redhead to look at him enviously. He was surprised that Ron was looking at him with envy, but he also understood the fact that he didn't notice this last time, since he was never good with understanding emotions back then. So he assumed that it must have been the reason which caused Ron to feel like being in his shadow. That night just after practice, when he came to the Gryffindor common room he didn't bother doing his homework as he went straight to the dorm and fell asleep within minutes.

Next morning he woke up and every single muscle in the body ached in pain and he found that the entire concept of exercise being foreign for his body. As it was Sunday he slowly woke up and changed into his regular clothes and went straight to the infirmary to meet Madam Pomfrey and ask for assistance.

"Madam Pomfrey, I need a little help." He requested to the matron.

"What kind of help do you need, Mr. Potter?" Pomfrey turned around to see Harry Potter and then she asked with a little concern.

"I need you to run a few tests and check I am healthy enough to play Quidditch." He asked to the matron.

"Is that really necessary, Mr. Potter. Quidditch is an exhaustive game I agree, but if you are looking for potions to help you in the game then you are sorely mistaken." Madam Pomfrey misunderstood the nature of his request.

"No Madam Pomfrey, I just need to know that if I am healthy enough to play such an exhaustive game…" He replied making it clear that he wasn't interested in boosting potions.

Madam Pomfrey gave him a scrutinizing gaze and then led him to one of the beds and once he sat down she went through a few diagnostic charms and gasped when she found out the boy was indeed severely malnourished.

"What happened to you, Mr. Potter, for you to be this malnourished?" The nurse questioned him sternly.

"I don't get to eat that much in my aunt's and uncle's house, so…" He hesitated and that was enough for Madam Pomfrey to fill in the blanks. Poppy Pomfrey was beyond furious and she was really in the mood to Hex Harry Potter's aunt and uncle and she felt disgusted towards the boy's guardians, as she found the boy very malnourished and frail.

"Wait here Mr. Potter, I'll be back shortly!" Pomfrey said and walked to her medicine cabinet and started browsing for medicines and potions to exhume the boy's health. Almost ten minutes later Madam Pomfrey walked back into the infirmary and then she placed four vials of potions on the bed he was sitting and said.

"These are the three potions you should take every day for the upcoming month. The first one is a growth potion; it'll correct any problems regarding restricted growth due to malnourishment, the second one is nutrient potion this may taste very bad, but it'll directly handle your malnourishment. The third and final potion will help in enhancing the other two potions to your body and I suggest you to eat quite lavishly, because these potions will make you rather hungry. And don't worry about coming here and getting doses, because I have placed a _'refilling charm'_ and it'll refill by itself automatically once you have taken the dose for the day." Madam Pomfrey gave him the medicines.

"And Mr. Potter, don't push yourself too much regarding Quidditch practice, because the growth potion will only be restricted by your physical exercises. Stretching exercises are okay, but anything more strenuous than that, is not advised." Madam Pomfrey warned and bid him goodbye.

He went to the common room and placed all the potions in his trunk and then decided to take the potion for the day, it was just like how Madam Pomfrey warned it would be, it tasted awful, but he drank them anyway. After that he walked back down to the common room and he found Hermione sitting on the couch and reading a book as usual, the common room was almost empty as most of the older students were outside enjoying the sun.

"Hermione, it's Sunday, so what do you want to do?" He asked happily to his best friend.

"I want to practice charms and transfiguration…" Hermione replied smoothly and this was not what he was expecting.

"Please don't tell me that you want to study the whole day!" He asked clearly annoyed.

"Unlike you Harry, I'm not a natural genius and I need to study every now and then to keep up…" Hermione replied with an edge in the voice.

"Who said anything about me being a natural genius, and why are you angry?" He asked confused.

"You lied to me!" She said almost inaudibly.

"I certainly did not." He replied now giving Hermione his full attention.

"You told me that you were muggle-raised and that you were not integrated into the wizarding world." She asked him with a suspicious gaze.

"Yes!" He agreed to her statement.

"That's what you lied about; you had prior knowledge about the wizarding world and experience." She looked disappointed and betrayed as she said that.

"I don't have any prior knowledge or anything regarding the wizarding world and that's the truth and I certainly didn't lie to you" he replied sternly.

"You did, because I noticed that you do every single spell or charms like you already know them, how?" She asked clearly furious.

"Come and I'll show you how." He caught hold of her wrist and led her outside through the portrait.

With that he held her hand more tightly and he walked to the seventh floor left corridor opposite to the tapestry of 'Barnabas the Barmy' and then he stood facing the wall for a few minutes and then thought quietly. The door appeared and he opened it and ushered Hermione into the room and he followed in behind her.

What Hermione saw in there blew her mind; the room itself was big like it was under 'extension charm' and there were bookcases with thousands and thousands of books which were all moved from the 'Room of the Hidden Things'. And finally there was study area with tables and chairs and what looked like a cupboard with a glass door inside that there was racing brooms and other items and finally the practice area for combat dueling practice.

"This is where I train every day Hermione; there are books for almost everything and that's where I do my dueling drills and exercises. After library this is the next place where I spend most of my time practicing." He said and a look from Hermione said that she was delighted by the turn of events.

"Harry, why didn't you tell me about this place?"

"I was looking for the right time, Hermione."

"You should have told this to me first." Hermione gave a look which said that she was mad at him for hiding this.

"Hermione listen to me very carefully, Dumbledore is keeping a close watch on me for some reason and I don't know why. I can only assume that he knows this place that I am using and I am pretty sure that he is trying to control my life and micromanage every move, but I can't allow that because it's my life and its mine to live. So the less the people know the better and to be honest I wasn't planning to show you this place until next year, but I showed you because I trust you and in your decisions, so you can't tell anyone about this place." He revealed his fears and reassured her.

Hermione looked alarmed and confused, but she was going to trust Harry as he trusted in her, so she nodded with utmost concentration. He pointed her towards the books and said, "Enjoy!" And that was enough for Hermione to run towards the shelves excitedly, while he kept laughing at her enthusiasm for books.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's Office-**_

"The boy is brilliant like his mother Severus, but he hasn't inherited any of his father's curiosity either…" Dumbledore said to the potions master.

"I thought having Hagrid to take him to the vault and then the break-in article in the 'prophet' would make him curious enough to investigate into the situation, but he is too keen on studying than anything else." Dumbledore said disappointedly.

"Maybe if we can put clues like a trail of breadcrumbs then he may follow it to the stone!" Snape suggested carefully.

"No, he will smell something suspicious almost immediately and then he will obviously assume that it was organized by the authority and then I will lose his respect too…" Dumbledore shot down the idea.

"Respect too?" Snape asked curiously.

"The boy doesn't trust me like I wanted to Severus, he thinks that I'm just a headmaster for the school and he wants to keep it like that and doesn't want me in his life. And I agree with him on that for now, I shouldn't interfere in his life just yet." Dumbledore replied disappointedly.

"Professor the boy is a natural Occulumens, do you know how?" Snape asked a little intrigued as he couldn't even find the boy's mind.

"I'm assuming that his life with the Dursleys have caused him to erect mental barriers on his own in ordered to handle the solitude. Did you notice that it wasn't difficult to penetrate, but difficult to find? The boy wants privacy and we will give it to him and for the moment there is nothing else that we can do…other than to wait." Dumbledore said and took his seat in the office while Snape walked out of the room impassive as always.

" _What to do now?"_ the century old headmaster mused.

* * *

 **Sorry if I disappointed you with this chapter, but do not worry because Hermione will get her memories back soon and she will understand everything and assist Harry. Ron will be their friend of sorts for a while, but they will keep their distance from him due to his habits and influences. And please review and tell me how you feel and give suggestion of how to continue.**

 **Until next time,**

 **See ya…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any views, but I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Great Hall-**_

Monday night he was calmly having dinner with Hermione, while Hermione was fidgeting under the attention they were getting due to Harry's new status as a seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They were even attracting attention from their own table many older girls were giving them appreciative looks while older boys were giving them doubtful looks, except for the members of the Quidditch team. Harry himself was uncaring and was reading as well as eating quite lavishly due to being under medicine potions' effects.

Meanwhile at the same time Malfoy was fuming while sitting in the Slytherin table. He was under the impression that Harry Potter was being punished for flying the broom, but instead he got out of the punishment and got himself rewarded. People were talking about how Harry Potter was the youngest seeker of the century and was waging among themselves that Harry will prove his worth in their first match against Slytherin. And according to new information Harry Potter has also acquired a new 'Nimbus 2000' to use in Quidditch. Malfoy decided that the only way to humiliate Potter was to trick him into something which would get him caught and result in losing points for his house, so a plan came to Malfoy's mind and he was going to implement it.

"Hey Potter, I heard that you are the new seeker for Gryffindor's pathetic excuse of a Quidditch team and for that you even ended up having a 'Nimbus 2000'!" Draco said as he walked towards the Gryffindor table. Many Gryffindor students who heard what Malfoy said were glaring daggers at Malfoy while the Quidditch team members looked murderous, while Harry gave a look to Ron which clearly said that he knew about how Ron yammered about the broom.

"This comes from the guy who doesn't have a spine of his own and instead relies on his father's to function…" He replied calmly without even turning back to face his adversary. And that was enough for both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students to burst out laughing at Draco, who looked outraged.

"Very funny, Potter. How about a 'Wizard's duel'? If you beat me then you can prove me that I am wrong!" Draco said and many Gryffindor students who were watching the interaction, suddenly looked even more interested.

Before Harry could give a reply, "Okay we agree, who's your second?" Ron replied beating him to the answer.

"Crabbe will be my second." Draco stated with a smile believing that his trick worked.

"Tell us when and where?" Ron said again before he could stop the nonsense.

"Tonight at midnight in the Trophy room. See you there Potter!" Draco said and walked away with a mocking grin.

"We can win him mate!" Ron said enthusiastically while Hermione looked clearly infuriated at Ron for trying to get them in trouble.

"Don't be disappointed Ronald, he is not going to come." He said and went back to his dinner.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked and this got the attention of all Gryffindor students sitting nearby.

"First of all a Wizard's duel is a magically bounded contract, once you are in there's no turning back and if I listened carefully then I am sure that he didn't quote it properly. Secondly he doesn't have the guts for challenging a duel like that and thirdly it's obvious he is trying to trick us." He replied like it was the most obvious, while Hermione and most of the other older students agreed with Harry's reasoning.

"Mate, are you scared, we can beat him you know." Ron said still not getting the point while he looked with obvious sarcasm.

"Let me put it to you bluntly, Draco is going to report this to Argus filch or Severus Snape that somebody is going to fight in a Wizard's duel and that we both are involved in it and then he will go to bed. If we go to the Trophy room at midnight then somebody will come and catch us and then punishment will be given to us or in the worst case scenario we will get expelled." He said and began eating again while continuing to read his book. Now most of the older students were convinced while the first years looked confused, but convinced all the same.

"Harry is right Ronnikins…." Fred began.

"…Malfoy will not show to the duel" George completed.

"But, but…." Ron tried to talk but was cut off by Hermione.

"Harry is right and if he says that Malfoy won't show then Malfoy won't show!" Hermione said in an annoyed and bossy tone and glared at Ron. Ron who was clearly outnumbered in his opinion wisely decided to shut up.

With that the conversation effectively ended and they resumed with their dinner. While Harry himself was in a happy mood, because due to his decision they will not be meeting 'fluffy the giant three-headed dog', so effectively botching Dumbledore's well thought out plan.

* * *

 _ **Halloween Season-**_

Days passed and Halloween approached and there was an air of celebration. And just like last time they were attending 'Charms class' under Professor Flitwick and he was teaching 'Levitation charm' via with the use of feathers.

"With a flick and swish…, and don't forget, the spell work is very important when it comes to charms!" Professor Flitwick advised the whole class.

"The incantation is _'Wingardium Leviosa'!_ " charms professor continued his instruction.

Ron like last time attempted to cast his charm eagerly, but ended up botching it again and earned himself an advice/tip from Hermione.

"Slowly…, you are going to take somebody's eye out and besides you are saying it all wrong…"

"It's _Levi-Oh-sa_ not _Levi-o-sar._ "

"If you are so good at it then you try it, go on!" Ron taunted and Hermione as usual got it right.

" _Wingardium Leviosa."_ Hermione said with a flick of his wand and with that the feather was charmed and it started floating a few feets high in the air as she guided it with her hand.

"Very good Ms. Granger, five points for Gryffindor…" Professor Flitwick praised Hermione and Ron turned away in annoyance.

The class ended and Ron with Seamus, Neville and Dean were walking together while he and Hermione followed them a bit behind and like last time Ron started with his teasing.

"It's _Levi-oh-sa_ not _Levi-o-sar_ , a mental that one, no wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Ron said and all three with him laughed.

Hermione on the other hand was on the verge of crying with tears threatening to fall, but he placed a comforting arm on her shoulder and gave a soft smile and that was enough to calm her down.

"Don't care about what he says, because it doesn't matter and besides he is obviously wrong. I'm your friend and that's what matters." He said as he walked beside her and Hermione calmed down, but she still kept glaring at Ron's back and he smiled as this was like him being the adult and they being the children. And most of all he felt like he owed it to her memory from the future, all the trouble she went through with them for what only to get abused and imprisoned in her own house by their other former best friend.

He put that thought to rest and an unseen smile appeared on his face, because with this he has cemented that he is completely out of Dumbledore's manipulation and the only thing that he has to deal with is Quirrell/ Voldemort.

* * *

 _ **Halloween dinner-**_

That night during dinner he was talking to Hermione and distracting her as she was actively glaring at Ron throughout the dinner. And then the door of the 'Great Hall' opened and Quirrell came running through it screaming 'troll'.

"TROLL, Troll in the dungeon; Troll in the dungeon…" Quirrell screamed and fainted.

Students panicked and tried to run away through the door almost causing a stampede, but Dumbledore being who he is, yelled and he still had to respect the man for his power, because that was enough to calm everyone down.

"SILENCE, all students return to their dormitories and stay there until further notice. House prefects assist the first years. Teachers follow me!" Dumbledore instructed and stormed out through the back heading to the dungeon.

With that all students lined up and started moving towards their respective dorms. And all Gryffindor first years where led to the Gryffindor common room by Percy.

"Hermione I have to go to the Room of Requirement to pick something, will you cover for me?" He asked and Hermione nodded albeit a little hesitantly.

With that he broke away from his class mates and went to the third floor corridor and placed a 'disillusionment charm' and a 'silencing charm' on himself and waited quietly around the corner near Fluffy's room for Quirrell to show up. Then Quirrell showed up, while not expecting anyone to be on watch due to his effective distraction, so he didn't check his surroundings and then he subdued all the defensive wards which were placed around the room and walked inside.

He on the other hand was waiting for this and just as soon as Quirrell went inside he locked the room from the outside using a 'Strong Locking Charm' and then placed a 'Shielding Charm' on the door to prevent him from escaping. The Shieling Charm was designed in a way that it cannot be bypassed from the inside and then he tripped the alarm wards which was connected to the harp inside the room that kept fluffy from waking up. As the alarm sounded the harp stopped while waking fluffy in the process; he felt bad for Quirrell, but didn't care having seen much more gruesome things in the future. After that he went back to the common room picking up his 'Nimbus 2000' on the way which he had stashed before for his plans and then he went inside with a smile on his face due to his accomplishment.

* * *

 _ **Headmaster's office (That Night)-**_

Quirrell was dead and Voldemort's spirit has escaped from its host body. When fluffy woke up Quirrell had to retreat, because he didn't have the necessary time required to steal the stone due to the alarm going off. But the door didn't open as there was a 'Locking charm' placed by someone on the outside, but when he blew the door open with a 'blasting hex' he still couldn't get out, due to the 'shielding charm' that covered the door. He got bit by fluffy as he was trying to escape and once he distracted the 'Cerebrus', he blasted the wall nearby to make his escape, but both Dumbledore and Flitwick were already there. Quirrell was no match for Filius Flitwick's skill while Albus Dumbledore covered the half-goblin dueling champion just as a precaution, and within minutes Quirrell hit the ground and they were stunned when they removed the turban to see Voldemort's face on the back of the D.A.D.A professor's head, but immediately Quirrell's body disintegrated and Voldemort's spirit escaped.

Twenty minutes later an enraged Minerva McGonagall was standing in the headmaster's office "Voldemort was in the school possessing a teacher under all of our noses and we didn't even notice." Minerva McGonagall said in a clearly furious and concerned.

"Minerva is right Albus this was a security breach inside the castle." Filius Flitwick agreed with the transfiguration professor.

"We must check and renew all the defense wards along the castle and place security along the secret passages to make sure that nothing of this sort ever happens again." Snape suggested.

"I agree, we must ensure that the defense of the castle is not compromised, so we will renew the wards and add new wards concerning with other specifications." Dumbledore said out loud.

"We must alert the ministry about Voldemort's presence and the entire issue about the Philosopher's stone!" McGonagall suggested.

"A threat has been averted Minerva, Filius, Severus, but I fear the worst with his presence being inside the castle for this long" Dumbledore agreed.

"The _worst_ Albus…?" Minerva questioned curiously.

"Harry Potter, I'm concerned for the boy and with Voldemort's presence being here this long we must check on him often and then look out for him with the best of our abilities." Dumbledore said making all the other professors to think.

"If we show favoritism for the boy then he may act rashly, due to his ever-growing fame." Snape said his thoughts which earned him a disappointed look from Flitwick and a threatening glare from McGonagall.

"I disagree, the boy is level-headed and brilliant; he knows about the risks and understands the consequences of his actions. We will look out for the boy, but as discreetly as possible and look for any anomalies if he acts differently!" Dumbledore finalized and got the agreement of both the charms and transfiguration professors while Snape agreed hesitantly. Even if the professors knew that the Headmaster wasn't saying everything they didn't question the man's wisdom as they trusted him.

"And this will remain between us and the other professors doesn't need to know this, the lesser the people know the better, meanwhile I'll find if the ministry can keep quiet about the entire situation." Dumbledore instructed and the three professors nodded.

With that all the three professors moved out of the headmaster's office, while Dumbledore sat there in deep thought, thinking about many things.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

Next morning all students were in the great hall having their breakfast and were talking about yesterday's events. Whereas Harry was expecting some kind of announcement to be made about Quirrell being injured or something, because he knew for a fact that there was a very high chance that Quirrell may indeed be injured by his trap. And just like he expected Dumbledore who came in halfway through breakfast began out loud.

"There is an announcement to be made…" Dumbledore said loudly which got the attention of every single student in the school.

"Professor Quirinus Quirrell is relieved of his duty as the 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' teacher and as we do not have another professor to take his place, I'll be filling the post myself for the rest of the term." Dumbledore announced and this got a huge applause from most of the students and Hermione was feeling light-headed due to the announcement.

The breakfast continued with various conversations, but Hermione noticed that Harry was distracted after the announcement, so she asked, "Harry, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Hermione! I'm just a little distracted with some issues…" He said honestly, so she nodded hesitantly and resumed her breakfast.

Harry indeed was in deep thought; he was a little surprised that Quirrell got caught in the first place and that his trap successfully worked. He assumed that Quirrell was either sacked from the school and sent to Azkaban or killed by Dumbledore or fluffy and he honestly didn't think fluffy could kill that man, so the only scenario is where he was killed by Dumbledore presumably. And if Quirrell was indeed dead, then Dumbledore was going to teach them and so he will have to be really careful and tread lightly as the old Headmaster was a wise fool.

Finally he distracted himself when he remembered something that he noticed earlier. Lately he noticed that his wand wasn't reacting to his mental commands like it used to, last time around from the time he picked up his wand from Ollivanders before Hogwarts he never had any problems with it until it was eventually destroyed during the war.

He had an idea why, because his wand was made of 'holly' wand wood and had a phoenix feather core, where the woods volatility conflicts with the phoenix's detached nature. Last time he was able to team them up, because he was in the middle of a spiritual quest to find answers and he often needed outside help to overcome his anger and impetuosity. And this was provided by the 'wand wood' and he needed the wand core's initiative to act according to its own to help him in various periods of time.

But now he wasn't going on a spiritual quest to find answers as he already had the answers to his questions and he was calm, collected and wise, so he didn't need any help to control his emotions and he definitely didn't need any help on initiative to act. So the wand contradicted with him rather violently, he was the same person as before but changed in many ways that the wand itself found him unworthy. He could not provide any reason for the wand's core and the 'wand wood' itself to work in unity, so he was now stuck with a wand which doesn't suit his needs. He had an idea that he did need to try, so he will have to make a trip to Diagon alley this summer for his new wand. But before that he needed to collect some ingredients to make Ollivander himself build and design the wand he had in mind.

* * *

 _ **First Match-**_

Quidditch season approached fast, but unlike last time he wasn't nervous or even anxious about his match, but he prepared for it every evening practicing with team Captain Wood. He used his Occulumency to review all the memories of his first Quidditch match, so he had to have the advantage of foresight.

With his practice, healthy diet and Madam Pomfrey's potions, Harry had a sudden growth spurt and weight gain which he counterbalanced with his physical exercises. Meanwhile his dueling practice was getting much more intense as he was building muscle memory and instinct for a proper duel. Even with his slightly underperforming wand he was able to get good results with his training and additionally he was planning for his summer breaks where he can spend his free time usefully than wasting it in the Dursley household doing redundant chores.

First Quidditch match was coming in two days and his dorm-mate and his sort-of-friend Ronald was more nervous than he was and that kind of amused and annoyed him. Meanwhile Hermione was bothered by how he giving so much attention to Quidditch and not to his studies, but she didn't voice her opinion. And he knew that he needed to break her out of this bookworm tendency and to make her have some fun, but that will have to wait.

And then the day of the first Quidditch match arrived so fast he was almost unprepared for the anxiety, but as he had experienced it once before, so it wasn't much trouble. Before he knew it he was standing near the Quidditch pitch in his Gryffindor uniform with his new racing broom along with his Quidditch team.

"Harry, are you nervous?" Wood asked him hoping to get a positive answer and he wasn't disappointed.

"No…, it's just another day in paradise!" He replied and the gate opened and everyone systematically flew into the pitch.

Everybody flew around getting accustomed to the pitch's features, and then the Slytherin's Quidditch team entered with a full circled flight around the pitch with all players aligned perfectly. Then everyone took their respective assigned position and aligned properly and then Madam Hooch entered the pitch and stood at the center of the pitch.

"I want a clean game." She warned and released the golden snitch and the bludgers into the air, finally threw the quaffle straight in the air and as such the game began.

He was tempted to watch the game, but he needed to catch the snitch and he knew exactly where it was and he raced to the other side of the pitch. The Slytherin seeker who saw him moving fast followed behind him. Suddenly out of nowhere a bludger came towards his head and he ducked immediately and when he looked back he saw the two beaters of Slytherin on his tail with their seeker.

Just then the snitch ascended in the air and he had an idea, he followed the snitch and climbed steeply into the sky. The three Slytherin players followed him, but he kept climbing and climbing over the height of at least a few hundred feets. The Slytherin beaters who were pretty fair flyers, but at the same time they weren't accustomed to flying in such heights for longer periods, so they couldn't handle the pressure after a while, hence they fell back, while the Slytherin seeker kept following him.

"Blimey, what's he doing? If he goes any higher it'll become tough for him to breathe!" Ron said out loud getting a worried gasp from Hermione. All the other students and the professors were watching quite concernedly except the Slytherins of course.

Harry was at enough height so he stopped climbing and fell back downwards into free fall, the seeker who was following him was caught by surprise, so the Slytherin seeker couldn't react as fast as him and so he stopped and ducked and then lost control and fell into a rapid descent. While he cleverly used the descending speed as the basis and reengaged in his pursuit and went for the snitch. The golden snitch was flying downwards and he flew behind it and caught it just a few feets from the ground and corrected from his descent and hovered a foot high from the ground, while standing steadily on his broom, his little stunt earned him a lot of surprise gasps. And he stood on the floating broom with the golden snitch in his right hand as he showed it to the crowd and between the applause he heard the announcement.

"Harry Potter has caught the snitch, Gryffindor wins!" Lee Jordan announced loudly as cheers and applause grew even bigger.

* * *

Their first win in the Quidditch match got him a lot of appreciation from his Gryffindor house members, team members were loudly talking/boasting about how they were going to win the Inter-House cup and the Quidditch cup with him on the team.

He on the other hand had other ideas like going to meet Hagrid and talk to him about a few things and he wanted Hermione with him. They reached Hagrid's hut and knocked the door a few times and the half-giant opened the door and was surprised to see the two first years.

"Hello Hagrid!" He said cheerily.

"Ello' Harry and y'ermione…" Hagrid greeted the two children and let them into his house.

"Hello Hagrid!" Hermione greeted politely.

"Wha' brings yo' to my home?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"Ant et was' a nice game today Harry." Hagrid complimented his seeker skills.

"Thank you Hagrid." With that the half-giant walked to the kitchen and started making tea. And once the tea was made Hagrid gave them the tea and sat down with them.

"Hagrid, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while. Is there any Blackthorn trees nearby the castle?" He asked making both Hermione and Hagrid curious.

"Whya Harry?" Hagrid asked surprised by the unusual questions.

"It's in this season they produce the berries and I wanted to try some." He replied smoothly.

"I don' think so, Harry. I'll have some berries for you next time around you come here!" Hagrid replied with a smile.

"And I've been meaning to ask you, what are those things that pull the carts of the older students who go to Hogsmeade?" He asked curiously.

"Thea' ar thestrals Harry" Hagrid answered carefully.

"Thestrals?" Harry questioned.

"Thea' ar a typ of flying horses, which are said to have the esens' of death…" Hagrid replied a little hesitantly.

"Why am I the only person who can see them?" He asked to the half-giant, as he needed an 'effective cover' to go near them and inspect them while the Half-giant hesitated to give a reply.

"Harry…, a 'thestral' can only be seen by a person who has seen death of another with his/her own eyes!" Hermione gave the answer to his question hesitantly as she considered it as a sore subject for Harry.

That killed the mood, as Hermione looked concerned for her only friend while he had head downcast, but he wasn't really upset.

"Thank you Hagrid!" He thanked the half-giant and with that he and Hermione exited the hut headed for the tower.

* * *

 _ **Regular School-**_

The classes proceeded as usual and he was the most popular celebrity in school, everybody considered him as the prodigious all-rounder. His results in subjects were very impressive as almost every professor praised him due to his knowledge and intellect and with his Quidditch skills it became very clear that Harry Potter was worthy of his fame. Even Dumbledore was impressed by the boy's talent in class after the first few D.A.D.A classes and was seriously considering if he was worthy to be 'the chosen one'.

While Hermione felt very uncomfortable and uneasy due to the attention she was attracting while being with Harry. While Harry noticed something everyone missed and something even he missed last time, Ronald Weasley was often giving him envious looks and he started noticing it when he defeated Ron in a chess match. At first he thought it was just once, but then he noticed the same look multiple times and he couldn't quite piece it together, but he suspected the reason to be that they weren't as close as last time, where Ron too got the exact same attention which he got. He saw that Neville was becoming more confident with his constant presence in potions class and he briefly considered the idea of Neville completing the 'Golden Trio'. But he immediately shot down the idea, because he felt the entire idea of 'golden trio' being completely useless since he had no intention of being around Ronald for a long time. He became much closer to the Weasley twins as he used his memory of Sirius regaling the tales of the Marauders and he used it to provide the twins with various ideas for clever pranks.

Dumbledore kept trying to use Legilimency on him during D.A.D.A classes, but he convinced the headmaster that he didn't even feel Dumbledore's Legilimency and solidified it playing the headmaster for a fool. Dumbledore was unintentionally giving him Occulumency training that his unsynchronized mind sorely needed and the old headmaster kept thinking that Harry was unaware of his Legilimency, as it was difficult to locate Harry's mind among the group of students. To Dumbledore it seemed like Harry was being shy and insecure, so the boy locked himself up and not opening to anyone, while Harry himself was actually doing the opposite, as he led them to believe it as such whereas he was actually evaluating and analyzing everyone. Being an 'Investigative Auror' for over a decade will make one to develop such abilities.

* * *

 _ **Christmas Season-**_

Then Christmas approached and just like last time Hermione went home for the break, while he spent his free time with Fred and George. On Christmas day he got a box of assorted sweets from Hermione, a box of newly developed pranking items from Fred and George and he got the invisibility cloak and a note saying that 'his father left it in the headmaster's possession', from Dumbledore. He gifted the twins with a good number of pranking supplies and sent stationaries and sugar quills to Hermione.

But unlike last time he didn't wander around the corridor at night using his invisibility cloak or like going to see the 'Mirror of Erised', besides he wasn't even sure that it would be there as the threat for the Philosopher's stone was averted much earlier in the year. And he was afraid of what he might see in the mirror, so he didn't bother answering that question and kept it as suspense.

During Christmas break he started training on non-verbal Conjuration spells which exhausted him of quite a bit of magic, but he began conjuring rocks and solid substances to enhance his defense in dueling. Vanishing and switching spells were very easy considering Conjuration spells, but he found using Conjuration spells exhausted him easily due to his magical core being small regarding that he was only eleven years old.

Then the Christmas season ended and Hermione came back only to find Harry was actually busy preparing for Quidditch and exams. The next match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was quite amusing as he caught the snitch within minutes after the start of the game putting Gryffindor in lead for the inter-house Quidditch cup. He also observed that Ron never looked at him with envy or jealousy throughout the entire Christmas break, but when Hermione came back it all began again, it confused him greatly and he was also sure that Hermione noticed it too.

And unlike last time Hagrid didn't get the dragon egg from a disguised Quirrell, so they weren't caught by Malfoy or serve detention in the Dark Forest. But during this he saw that Ron became much closer to Neville, Dean and Seamus, while he still was a friend-of-sorts, then again he wasn't very close to Ron or Seamus, but rather close to Neville and Dean.

After that he went into the forest on a fine morning and met a group of Thestrals and then he collected Thestral's tail hair for his wand to be a subsequent second to rival Dumbledore's or Voldemort's wand if the situation calls for it. He didn't want the elder wand because by the time he gets it many inner circle death-eaters will already know about its existence and would've seen Voldemort's wielding it. So it would be pointless to keep it if any idiot comes looking for it and he had in several instances dueled with other wizards who came to him looking for it and most of them were really strong too.

Final exams for the year came too soon for his liking, but he was sure that he aced it with Hermione while he and many others were curious of who would be on the top in marks list. And he felt pity for Ron when he saw Ron struggling with his exams, so he helped him as best as he could with the last minute preparation that Ron was doing and Hermione didn't object his decision either and Ron was rather ungrateful for the help, which annoyed him greatly. He was happy that he had an almost normal year in Hogwarts, but he wasn't so sure about the upcoming years in his school life.

Finally their Quidditch match with Ravenclaw was a huge success, but it took quite an amount of time to catch the snitch as he had a good rival in terms of skill the Ravenclaw's seeker possessed. It was a close-call, as he couldn't get past the seeker's defense to get the snitch, so he amazed everyone by pulling a 'Wronski Feint' and taking the Ravenclaw seeker out of the game then catching the snitch.

With that the End of Term Feast came and obviously Gryffindor was awarded the House cup for securing maximum points and the inter-house Quidditch Cup was also won by Gryffindor much to Slytherin's chagrin. And everybody in the school knew that it was Harry Potter's presence that made Gryffindor win the Quidditch cup.

And before he knew it he was on the train going back to home with Hermione, Ron and Neville. And he was praying that he could begin his plans for the summer break while being with the Dursleys.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took long but it was quite difficult to write thinking of scenarios of taking Quirrell out of picture soon. But all is well. And Hermione will get back her memories soon, but not too soon and I will give you a hint- second year.**_

 _ **I'll update as soon as possible, but it will take time as my classes will begin after this short break.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I've read which I found rather unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing minus the twins and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Sorry, but I honestly confused Cedric and Cho to be Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively. If there is a way to correct an already published chapter pleases give me some suggestions or instructions. Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews, but I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere. And Ron is not jealous of Harry as a whole, not yet at least. He is jealous of Harry's fame and talents which he wanted to have, so much. He feels inferior to his brothers, overshadowed by them, so he feels the need to be independent, but doesn't have the talent or the guts to be strong. Harry is good at everything that Ron wanted to be, but he knows that angering Harry wouldn't do him any good, so he wants to stand with Harry just to bask in the glory that Harry gets. In short the redhead is just a selfish git, both in canon and in this story.**

 **1 Galleon = 5 Pounds**

* * *

 _ **King's Cross Station-**_

Harry, Hermione, Neville and a disgruntled looking Ron slowly got down from the train to the platform as it stopped. Everybody got down immediately meeting their parents or guardians correspondingly. While he slowly walked out and watched the interaction between the children and their parents. There was always a void in his heart when it came to his parents, a void no matter how small it was, which he was sure that it would never really heal. And when his gaze fell on the family of redheads, an involuntary frown came to his face.

During the train ride Ron forced his way into the compartment which they were seated in, just so he can talk to Harry. And then Ron started to cut short all conversations between them and kept talking to Harry about Quidditch and Chudley Cannons. When that happened Harry decisively told the Weasel to shut up, and then Harry diverted his attention to Hermione and Neville. The only reason he even tolerated Ron was because of a small sentiment and a memory of a friend he once cherished, but he was also sure that it was already faded away.

They both walked out of the barrier to meet their respective guardians, since Neville and the Weasley's regrouped on the platform, Hermione ran upto her parents whom he easily recognized after seeing them last time in Australia. Harry accompanied Hermione to Australia a few months after the war to give Hermione's parents their memories back and to convince them of what happened and why it was necessary to hide them using such heretical methods. Back then calming the elder Grangers was a very tiresome task which took almost two weeks, but eventually they succeeded and Hermione earned their forgiveness. Emma Granger, Hermione's mother who mistook that he and Hermione being in a relationship, made it very obvious that she approved, she started questioning him about his feelings for Hermione, while Hermione was not around. He had to reassure them that he wasn't interested in Hermione in that way and that Hermione was very much in love with Ron, this information was passed on to Daniel Granger, and a few days later Dan questioned him quite extensively. But the questions surprised him, because Dan asked why he wasn't interested in Hermione and where Ronald was when Hermione needed her boyfriend the most and what kind of good boyfriend would bail-out when meeting his girlfriend's parents. Even Dan agreed that he approved of his friendship with Hermione while subtly questioned him about Ron's intentions for his daughter and he wasn't very happy when Harry informed Dan about the events in war about Ron's involvement and misgivings.

That incident triggered something in him. It made him question for why he didn't interest himself in Hermione, since it was a pretty obvious fact that the brown haired witch was a very beautiful woman. It acted as an exponential catalyst, and that simple thought grew and it eventually led him to question his feelings for Hermione and at the same time it forced him to doubt his feelings for Ginny. After that he stayed unconvinced for a long time and built enough willpower to break out of Ginny's and Molly's 'Compulsion Charms' and 'Confusing Concoctions' without the use of any magic. But by the time he broke out, it was already too late for him, as Hermione was already in a strong intimate relationship with Ron, so he distanced himself instead, so that she can be happy and content with her life even at the cost of his own happiness.

He was broken out of his musing by a hand that landed on his shoulder and he shuddered instinctively, he then noticed Emma Granger standing in front of him with a warm smile on her face.

"Harry, are you alright? You seemed kind of distracted, Harry." Hermione asked slowly standing beside him and looking at him obviously concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just going over my plans for the summer." He recovered quite quickly, but his strange reaction and behavior did not go unnoticed by Dan.

"Okay Hermione, I'll see you later. It was a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger." He said with a stiff nod and started walking away ignoring Molly Weasley who obviously was trying to talk to him.

"Maybe we can walk you to the entrance to where your parents are." Mr. Granger suggested and placed his hand on his right shoulder which got an approving smile from Hermione, but when Harry glanced at her she lowered her head as she forgot to mention to her parents about her friend being an orphan.

"I never got your name, son." Dan asked while Emma listened carefully.

"It's Harry Potter, Mr. Granger."

"Please call us Emma and Dan, Harry." Emma said and Dan nodded positively.

Before they could continue their conversation, they reached the entrance of the station and he saw his uncle Vernon waiting for him in his car. He tried to excuse himself, but Dan having none of that led him to Vernon's car and before Dan could introduce himself to Vernon; his uncle spoke gruffly aiming towards Harry.

"Get in, _Boy._ " Vernon sneered at Harry, while giving him dirty looks. Both the Grangers noticed the stress in the last syllable and looked surprised and then they observed Harry who looked like this wasn't anything new. "Quickly get in; I don't want to waste my time waiting for a _freak_ like you." Vernon said emphasizing on the word 'freak', missing the glare directed at him by the elder Grangers, and just as Harry got in the car Vernon took off. As they moved Harry gave the Grangers a forced smile which both Emma and Dan immediately noticed, but Harry missed their look of shock.

* * *

 _ **4, Privet Drive (Two days Later)-**_

Harry was currently cooking dinner for the Dursleys and was waiting for an argument or a tongue lashing from Vernon, so his uncle would make a certain comment which will enable all of his plans for the summer. Two days ago he was given Dudley's second bedroom and clothes for him to wear, as he was not tall enough matching Dudley in height, it fit him better but it was still a couple of sizes bigger than him.

"Hurry up boy." Vernon yelled irritably and he immediately walked and placed a plate full of fried pork and then he mumbled something incoherently just to rile his uncle up.

"What was that?" Vernon snapped, but when he didn't get a reaction from Harry, Vernon started grumbling loudly.

"You should be grateful to us freak, you have a roof on top of your head and you get a meal a day, so you shouldn't be MUMBLING." Vernon yelled the last part.

"I'm not running an orphanage here freak, I have mouths to feed too." Vernon continued.

" _If you can call those mouths, the appropriate name would be mobile waste bins."_ Harry mused, but didn't voice his concerns.

"You should go to some work and earn some money and start contributing…" Vernon said with his usual sneer.

"Maybe I will." He said out loud.

"hn…" Vernon kept brooding as he ate.

And this was exactly what he wanted to hear from his uncle, so he smirked for a brief second and then kept his face impassive.

* * *

 _ **Next Evening-**_

As Harry was serving snacks for Dudley and Vernon, who were watching some show in the Telly, he decided to ask.

"They are looking for boys who can ride bicycles to deliver food to the office buildings from a coffee shop almost four streets from here, so I'll be going tomorrow to apply for the job" he said to Vernon.

"How much will they give you" Vernon asked.

"I don't know, but I will know tomorrow" he replied and waited for a response.

"I won't be driving you four streets every day for your pesky job, so you better walk." Vernon said and he sighed and nodded.

"How long will you be working?" Petunia asked very excitedly as she didn't want ' _the freak'_ in her house, so him being absent for every morning was a very good start.

"I don't know that either." He replied impassively.

Petunia looked disappointed, but she had a good amount of faith that Harry will secure that job to get away from them, so she let it go for now.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

He woke up early and took a bath and cleaned himself and got ready and packed a few things to go away from Privet Drive for the day, to begin his plans for the summer. By seven o'clock he set out to move after making breakfast and just as Petunia came down he slowly stood up and walked away from his aunt's house after giving her a nod.

He walked down the street until the house disappeared from his view and then he waited on the pavement. And then out of nowhere the Knight bus came and stopped in front of him, he got on the bus and paid a Knut as fee.

"Diagon Alley," He said and Ernie nodded and started driving.

And within twenty minutes he was standing in Diagon Alley and he smiled at it, while fondly recalling his memories. His first destinations would be the Gringott's Bank, so he walked inside the bank to settle a few important things that he was negligent of last time around.

"Excuse me, my name is Harry Potter, but I don't have my key can you help me, sir?" He asked politely to the goblin sitting in the high chair straight from the entrance. He did so to ensure that his request is taken into account and to move things along. The goblin was intrigued by the boy's character as this famous young wizard was being so humble and polite, especially to their race.

"Is there a reason why you don't have your key?" The goblin asked indifferently.

"Mine is in the hands of Professor Dumbledore, I didn't ask him because he may not give me and besides I don't trust him with my vaults." He said bluntly and the goblins nodded.

"We will need verification that you are indeed who you say you are, so please follow Sharptooth and once he has verification, he will guide you to our representative for further processing." The goblin instructed him and he followed another goblin called Sharptooth into the waiting room.

The goblin went outside for a few minutes and then returned with a tiny plate and dagger. He knew what should be done next, so he stretched his hand and gave access to his palm and then Sharptooth made a cut on his palm and gathered enough blood in the small plate and then the goblin gave a wave and then his palm healed instantly. Sharptooth went outside and almost ten minutes later Sharptooth came in with another goblin named Bogrod.

And the other goblin said, "I will be your representative this morning, so Mr. Potter what do you need from us?" Bogrod said while the goblin named Sharptooth exited the room.

"I need another key for me to access my trust vault, while the key that is in the possession of my magical guardian Albus Dumbledore should be retrieved and destroyed without his knowledge. I need to read my parent's will and need to know if there are any marriage contracts which involve me directly. I need to know what and how much my vault holds at the moment and I also about the latest transactions and a detailed report on who else has access to my vault." He swiftly spoke to the goblin and then Bogrod nodded and walked out.

Twenty minutes later Bogrod walked in with a lot of papers and placed them on the table and then handed him a bunch of papers and he started reading.

* * *

 _ **Potter Family Will**_

 _This will represent the wishes of Mr. James Potter and Mrs. Lillian Potter._

 _We Mr and Mrs. Potter leave this will to help our son Harrison James Potter with his endeavors. Harrison James Potter must be left under the care of Mr and Mrs. Longbottom as the first priority upon our death if our son is still underage. If he is of age then he will be given control over all the movable and immovable assets, such as our houses and estates and heirlooms and all of the three potter vaults. The below list contains all the immovable assets,_

 _Potter Manor, summer cottage in France, chateau estate in Napa valley USA, cottage in Godric's hollow, a small invisible Island near Madagascar and a family bungalow in New Zealand._

 _Potter trust fund, Potter failsafe family vault and Potter main family vault._

 _If Harrison James Potter is underage and attending 'Hogwarts School Witchcraft and Wizardry' then he will be given partial emancipation that will allow him to partially access Potter failsafe family vault and its contents. And Harry Potter if you abuse this privilege then there will be hell to pay. And he will be staying with his Godfather Mr. Sirius Black or his Godmother Alice Longbottom. And if Harry Potter is underage and not yet attending 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' then he has access to nothing else but his trust vault and he should only be allowed to make limited withdrawals._

 _To Harrison James Potter, if you are reading this and if you have lost us very early in life, remember this we will always love you no matter what and don't let anyone say otherwise. And if you are partially emancipated then you'll read this carefully young man and if you abuse this privilege then you are in a world of trouble and don't you follow in your godfather's footsteps by becoming a prankster. And Sirius if you are reading this then you should understand this, if you influence my son in any way I find it unhealthy then I will castrate you with a blunt knife._

 _Lilly Evans Potter_

* * *

Harry had various reactions in his face and one of them was fear, and here he was afraid of his mother. And he was surprised by the number of properties his parents owned, while he already knew about the three vaults it was till astonishing. He was broken out of his musing by Bogrod who was handing him another set of documents; it was the current holdings and transactions regarding his vaults.

 _Potter Main Family Vault-_

 _Current holding- 120,055,387 Galleons (120 million)_

 _Potter failsafe Vault-_

 _Current holding- 43,227,895 Galleons (43 million)_

 _Potter trust fund-_

 _Current Holding- 6,045,769 Galleons (6 million)_

Harry's eyes bugged out as he saw the money available in the vaults, but this was impossible because when he accessed all the three vaults after war he only had a little over 18 million in total which was after combining the contents all three vaults. And then he had an epiphany and it became clear to him that Dumbledore and the order members did something with the funds in his vault. An uncontrollable rage surfaced, but it was gone almost immediately, he sighed as he realized that money was something he earned quite plentifully after the war, because of his best-selling books and famous inventions he earned almost twice as much as his current holdings combined. So he put it to rest, as these incidents were yet to happen, but that doesn't mean he can forgive them easily and he decided to be cautious.

"There has been a steady decrease in your trust vault, and one of the marriage contracts is active." Bogrod explained and broke him out of his musings.

"Which is the contract that is active?" He asked already expecting an answer.

"Contract is between Harry James Potter and Ginerva Molly Weasley, signed by Molly Weasley and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as the Weasley Matriarch being the current guardian of Ginerva Weasley and Albus Dumbledore being Magical guardian of Harry Potter. Since the time the contract was magically bonded 2000 Galleons is transferred to the Weasley Vault every month from your trust vault." Bogrod explained and he was right.

"How long has it been since the contract has activated?" He asked curiously.

"Nine years and three months…" The goblin replied impassively.

"Can you nullify the contract?" He questioned the goblin.

"Yes. The contract isn't very strong, but the safeguards indeed are…" Bogrod explained carefully.

"What kinds of safeguards are in place around the contract?" He asked trying to come up with a way to nullify the contract.

"It is connected with your trust fund, so if you nullify the contract then money flowing to the Weasley vault every month will seize and that will alert the both Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore immediately. And if they come here with an inquiry within a year then they will be able to override your request." Bogrod said in a calculated tone.

"Can you set up a plan where the contract is carefully analyzed and nullified and then a separate module is setup, where the same amount of money goes to the Weasley vault every month, so not alerting them about the nullification of the marriage contract?" He asked carefully.

"Yes, it can be done, but you do know that you will lose money?" Bogrod questioned him surprised by his request.

"A small price to pay for the freedom of my life…, so please nullify the contract and set up the money transfer plan at the earliest." He requested and the goblin nodded.

"And finally the people who have access to your vault are Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black and your current guardians Mr and Mrs. Dursley." Bogrod said.

"My current guardians have access to my vaults?" He asked back tensely.

"No, just the trust vault Mr. Potter."

"Will they be able to override my authority?"

"No."

"How much access do they have?"

"Partial, this is due to the connection of your vault with 'muggle child care services' that was forced upon your guardians by the muggle government many years back." Bogrod read the document in hand an explained.

"Have they ever done any kind transaction? And since when did they have the access?" He asked very interested.

"No, not directly at least, but Albus Dumbledore once presented a letter from Vernon Dursley saying that Dumbledore gets access to your trust vault. And they got access almost seven years ago…" Bogrod explained.

"That bloody barmy old codger…" He cursed inaudibly.

"I want you to freeze all of my assets blocking access to anyone apart from me and if Dumbledore asks will you make up some excuses not mentioning my involvement, please." He requested.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. We always respect our client's privacy and we work for their satisfaction nothing we talked about will be repeated to anyone and Albus Dumbledore will not have any kind of control over your funds. And here is your new key to your vault." Bogrod said and handed him his new key which he pocketed.

"What about the key which is in the hands of Albus Dumbledore?" He questioned because if that old codger has access to his family vaults then he will be darned.

"No worries Mr. Potter that key has a blood protected charm which will make that key useless since this one is active." Bogrod reassured him and he nodded.

"And Mr. Potter according to the will you are partially emancipated from the moment you read the will, you will have to wear the Potter family ring to signify your authority." Bogrod advised logically.

"No, Mr. Bogrod, I don't want anything to signify that I have authority, not yet at least and I would really appreciate it if you keep it that way." He requested carefully placing his words.

"Again Mr. Potter we respect our client's privacy, but if you decide to represent in the Wizengamot then you will have to wear the ring." Bogrod reassured and implied at the same time, to which he nodded in agreement.

"Now I need to make a withdrawal and I would also need a charmed purse with expansion charms to hold big enough money." He said and the goblin nodded.

* * *

Half an hour later he was walking out of Gringotts with a grin plastered on his face as he changed necessary amount of Galleons into muggle money and chucked it into his newly charmed purse. Next stop would be to the Ollivanders, to order his new wand as his previous one wasn't working.

He reached into the shop and found that Mr. Ollivander wasn't there, so he waited for a few minutes and then Ollivander came to the counter and spoke, "Ah, Mr. Potter. I didn't expect to see you this soon…"

"But you did expect me?" He replied with a question.

"Not for a few years at least…" Ollivander replied confusedly.

"Well, Mr. Ollivander there is a slight problem with my wand." He said with a tinge of concern.

"What might it be?"

"It's not responding quite properly, like it used too." He explained his problem.

"Can I examine it?" Ollivander asked and he handed his wand to the wand maker while Ollivander started examining it.

"Holly, 11 inches…, Phoenix feather, supple…, uncooperative" Ollivander surmised.

"See what I told you, it doesn't consider me as its wizard." He said in an obvious tone.

"No, Mr. Potter, it does consider you its wizard. The wand wood and wand core doesn't want to cooperate with the other in order to work properly for you. It is you who have to give them a reason to work together…" Ollivander analyzed and advised.

"Okay, Mr. Ollivander will you build me another wand?" He asked carefully.

"Yes, Mr. Potter an unusual request, but nonetheless it's reasonable as your wand is conflicted within itself. I will begin building another wand for you immediately." Ollivander said with a smile.

"Not just any wand, I want it to be for my specification." He said and the wandmaker became curious as he continued.

"I want a wand made out of blackthorn wood with a wand core made out of this…, sir." He took a small box which had a few of thestral's tail hair.

"Mr. Potter this is a dangerous substance that you are playing with…" Ollivander said clearly scared while he nodded calmly.

"Dangerous as it may be, but it is necessary."

"Why, Mr. Potter?"

"I have reason to believe that 'you-know-who' is still alive, as I felt his presence in school last year while my scar burned. I am pretty sure that no one would believe me even if I told them and I have a sneaking suspicion that if it's me he is after for some reason, so I need this as I know that with my wand I would not be able to survive an encounter against him." He explained his well-constructed lie.

Ollivander thought for a long minute, as Garrick couldn't find any lies in Harry's reply and finally came to a decision.

"I will build you this wand, Mr. Potter. But you will return it back to me even if it remotely shows any complications, so that I may destroy it, as the wand will have the essence of death itself once it is created. And I will ask you to keep this quiet, because no one needs to know about such a wand being made here. And furthermore I will not be able to guarantee that it will choose you as its wizard, Mr. Potter." Ollivander warned and advised at the same time.

Harry was surprised that it was this easy to convince the wand maker, but his subtle Legilimency told him that Ollivander was curious about this new project and being fascinated by the Elder wand, which clearly over-rid the man's sense of safety. He nodded in agreement and then he gave the box consisting of 'thestral tail-hair' to the wand maker.

"You will be able to collect your wand in a month, but I suggest that you keep everything I said in mind and think carefully, Mr. Potter." Ollivander said and he exited with a wand shop after giving the wandmaker a sharp nod.

* * *

After that he flooed to St. Mungo's, for another checkup regarding a problem that he had in mind which required the expertise of a mediwitch healer, he previously corrected this condition just after war. From what he can remember he had multiple hairline fractures all over his body and he went through almost three weeks of potions, medicines and magical healing to correct all the problems. So he guessed that he will be making regular trips to St. Mungo's at least for the next two weeks to heal properly.

"Excuse me; I need to set an appointment for a full body checkup." He said to the nurse.

"Please wait for a few minutes…" The nurse said and he waited in the waiting area.

Ten minutes later a nurse came and directed him to a bed and then told him to change into the hospital clothes. He changed his clothes and sat on his allotted bed and waited for the healer to come. A few minutes later a blonde haired healer came and asked him with a smile.

"Why are you here, Mr. Potter?"

"I need a full body checkup and an eye checkup." He replied and the woman nodded.

The next twenty minutes consisted of analyzing deformities and irregularities in Harry's bone structure and health of his individual organs and tissues. Finally when she concluded, she read all the problems in whole and was not happy with the observation.

"Mr. Potter, there are multiple hairline fractures and cracks in outer bones all over the body. And there is a kind of contraction in your intestines due to some kind of blunt force trauma, while you are healthy, but still you have not reached your maximum growth neither in weight nor in height for your age." The healer surmised unimpressed by her summary.

"Will you be able to heal me?" He asked as innocently as possible.

"Yes, but you will have to come here every day for the rest of the month for recursive treatment. Potions will not be enough to cure everything, so we will have to manually cure every single deformity with healing spells while taking skele-gro potion every day in very small doses." She explained softly falling for his innocent tone.

"Your eyes have partial farsightedness and your glasses are closely matched for the problem, but not perfect. We can offer you an absolute perfect match and much better designs in frames and glasses." The healer said and he nodded.

"Okay, we should start treatment as soon as possible and I would like a new glass too, but if only I can keep the old one…" He said and the healer looked at him curiously, but nodded nonetheless. He didn't need his uncle questioning how he got a new set of glasses, which would get him locked in house for the entire summer.

Almost an hour later he flooed out of St. Mungo's satisfied about the treatment he was getting. And he was sure that by the time he was sixteen he will be physically ready to handle Voldemort in a full-fledged duel.

* * *

He arrived in Brighton via public floo, because he needed to spend as much time away from 'Little Whinging' as possible. He needed Fencing lessons, as they would give him better control over his movements and it would help him greatly in dueling. And learning how to fence in some wizard-run institution was not an option, because the last thing he needed was make front page news mentioning his fencing lessons.

He went into the school and enrolled his name for his classes and twenty minutes later he came out with a course in hand. It was a 45 days crash course, three hours every day and he made sure that it will not clash with his daily appointment in St. Mungo's. The next three hours Harry spent his time buying Fencing materials like Jacket, Sous-Plastron, Plastron, Breeches, Gloves, Mask, Shoes, two different Sabres, one single rapier and a bag to keep them all which was equipped with multiple compartments for towels and water bottles.

Then he flooed to Maidenhead to find his old hideout which was his off the grid safe house after war, it was a rather large space parallel to the river which is going to be his base of operations for the upcoming war. He got into an office building and made his way to the basement and then he opened the underground passage hidden behind the fire extinguishing equipment. Once he made his way into the safe house he set all of the fencing equipment and then he spent the next few hours cleaning the entire area.

By the time he completed he was exhausted and it was seven o'clock at night, so he came out of his new/old base and made his way to a nearby hotel and ate slowly but lavishly and then paid them with a large tip and then he tiredly walked to the public floo. He just wished that he was in home now, but before he could complete that train of thought, he felt a pull in his navel and he disapparated.

He landed rather roughly on the front garden of No.2 privet drive, and it took him a full minute to steady himself. Just as he became steady, he started panicking as he did magic in a muggle neighborhood and he would get expelled if the ministry noticed his apparition through 'the trace'. He immediately made his way to his house and knocked on the door, his aunt Petunia opened the door with a disgusted look on her face. And just as soon as he made it inside the house, Vernon looked at him expectantly and asked.

"Well?"

"I got the job. I'll have to work from eight in the morning to seven at night and I will get 200 pounds a month as salary." He replied tiredly.

"At the end of the month you will pay us all 200 pounds you earned and Petunia will give you a spare key, and you will not bother us. Do I make myself clear?" Vernon commanded.

"Crystal." He agreed as he expected this from the man.

"Now do your chores and make us dinner." Vernon ordered and he nodded, as he was too tired to argue.

While Harry went into the kitchen, while his mind was in overload, as he was scared for the arrival of the letter from the ministry coming to inform him about his apparent expulsion and he was not sure that Dumbledore will help if he finds about his daily travel plans.

* * *

 _ **Fifty Days later-**_

Harry was currently practicing advanced transfiguration spells in his base in Maidenhead. The ministry letter never came, not that day nor in the next, after that he did basic spells to determine if his trace was gone or if the ministry considered his apparition as accidental magic. Once he confirmed that the trace was indeed broken and that he no longer can be tracked, he started practicing magic at a steadily increasing spells of various complexity.

He made many trips to 'Flourish and Blotts' and stockpiled books on dark arts, magical creatures, potions, arithmancy, history and runes and many other fields. He spent a lot of money getting original and unedited copies of famous books in order to acquire full and raw details to enhance his knowledge. His fencing classes were a huge success as he made to beginner level in fencing at the end of his short 45 days crash course. He practiced Dark arts and worked on his instinct regarding dueling skills being not tracked for every minute of your life was a huge relief, even if they don't actively track you unless you do magic. But he always felt annoyed that the purebloods and halfbloods with magical parents get to use magic over the summer while the muggleborns doesn't, it felt like biasing.

After completing his fencing classes and continually practicing it with respect to dueling, he reacquired most of his instinct, but his instincts weren't fast enough or agile enough to do anyone any damage. So he practiced extensively in his dueling skills. He practiced many basic charms that he could use in school or in everyday life and many advanced charms like undetectable extension charms.

He could say that his training quality and period skyrocketed after the discovery that he wasn't being tracked by the ministry. He extensively researched on various events in history mostly regarding ministry buildings and organizations and then many significant milestones that occurred in the history of magical Britain. And then he researched on many magical communities and then compared them with magical Britain. His everyday interaction with normal people in his fencing class and then travelling via bus when time was not a problem; these all helped him better to get along with the Muggle technology that was long outdated in the future.

And during the time he had, he managed to open a normal bank account in a muggle bank under the name 'Harrison Evans' using glamour. He managed to forge a few documents with his transfiguration skills and successfully opened the account and transferred fund from Gringotts using the muggle money exchange division. This bank account was a contingency in case he needs to disappear and get off the grid, and besides the bank obviously didn't have much security measures compared to the future, so it was quite easy to use his forged documents to create the account.

He wrapped up his training a little early in order to get home before Vernon's boss comes to house, so that Vernon can lock him in his room just in case. And he have to be in the room as today Dobby will come to warn him and he will have to convince the elf to leave him to his own devices. So that he can handle the whole issue of Voldemort's diary/Horcrux and Chamber of Secrets being reopened.

He reached privet drive and knocked on the door and his cousin Dudley opened the door and sneered at him and let him inside. And before he could even make his way upstairs Vernon stopped him and said.

"Boy, you will go to your room and then will not come down for the rest of the night and your dinner will be brought upstairs." Vernon ordered and he nodded.

After paying the man the 200 pounds after the first month, his treatment became bearable, as both Petunia and Vernon ignored him and didn't talk unless they absolutely have to. Dudley was still his lump annoying self, but followed his parents and ignored him, but occasionally he bullied him but he didn't care.

And when he entered the room, he found Dobby timidly sitting on his mattress and almost enjoying. So he decided to go on a much mature approach and said, "Hello, who are you?"

"I am Dobby, sir. I am a house-elf." Dobby replied as the elf looked at him with its big bulb like eyes.

"Why are you here?" He asked curiously.

"I am here to warn you, sir. There is grave danger in Hogwarts this year and you should not go to Hogwarts, Harry Potter sir." Dobby said while he sat in his mattress and locked the door with a locking charm which he cast wandlessly and non-verbally and then a silencing charm, so the Dursleys aren't disturbed.

"Danger from whom?" He asked carefully.

"Danger from my master, sir." Dobby said looking down not meeting his gaze.

"Okay, I will not ask who, but I need to ask this Dobby do you trust me?" He asked the elf and Dobby nodded while being clearly surprised.

"Do you have faith in me?" He asked again and once again Dobby nodded.

"Then let me handle this issue on my own." He said calmly.

"But, sir…" Dobby tried to argue, but he cut it off.

"Do you doubt my skills, Dobby?" He asked more firmly this time.

"No, sir. Bad Dobby, bad, bad Dobby…" The elf said and started slamming its head into the nearby study table as punishment for doubting him.

"Dobby there will be no punishing yourself while you are in my house." He said firmly and the elf stopped almost immediately.

"Now I will ask again, do you doubt in my abilities?" He asked much firmer and Dobby shook his head.

"Good, so let me handle this on my own. Hand over my letters now…" He asked and Dobby unwillingly handed over his letters to him and he took it from the elf.

"Okay, Dobby will you inconvenience me from now on?" He asked amusedly.

"No, sir I swear." Dobby said and he nodded and took a new pair of socks from his shelf that he specifically bought for this elf.

"This will be your reward for giving me this information." He said and held the pair of socks. The emotional elf took it tearfully and genuinely happy, while he smiled sadly as he thought of how this elf died in his hand trying to save him.

"And trust me Dobby, I will find a way to get you out of servitude from your master…" He promised the elf.

And with that the elf disappeared and he immediately sighed in relief and he was glad that it worked, so he smiled warmly to himself. And then he spent the rest of the night reading Hermione's letter and an occasional few from Neville.

* * *

 _ **Next morning-**_

He walked out of the house and his aunt didn't bother stopping him as she and Vernon were still in a happy mood that his uncle's business deal has turned out to be a great success. Unlike last time without Dobby's skirmish and him being absent for the entire ordeal was enough for the deal to finalize and for his guardians to ignore him and not question him at all. He didn't complain because he was very happy due to the improvement of the situation and the knowledge that things could be much worse than the present was enough.

He apparated to his base to collect his money purse and then went to Diagon alley as he expected Hermione to be there today. And he was excited to meet her and ask about her trips across Britain with her parents that she mentioned in her letters. He walked into Ollivander's wand shop and rung the small bell alerting his presence to Ollivander.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, I was expecting you a little earlier due to the enthusiasm you showed on your unusual request." Ollivander said.

"I had a lot to think about what you said and I agree it is quite dangerous and unethical on my part. So I had to plan for contingency just in case things go wrong…" He said honestly as he was planning for a few contingencies anyway.

"Very thoughtful of you Mr. Potter, I have your order and don't be disappointed if things don't go the way you expected." Ollivander warned and he nodded.

After a few minutes of searching Ollivander took a box from the back of his shop and brought it to the desk and opened it. And there it was a sixteen inch pure black wand with a small handle in the form of three brown roots converging into a spiral connecting the wand's length and the tip of the wand being rather pointy, not sharp but pointy nonetheless, the wand's appearance itself represented power. He took the wand out of the box and felt his magic flowing into it and it took a few brief moments to get used to the feeling, but he immediately adjusted.

Garrick Ollivander was surprised that the wand was stable and cooperative with Harry, because this wand didn't work properly even to its maker, but it was understandable as it was obvious that it only favored strong wizards who had gone through many hardships in his/her life.

Harry used a hovering charm non-verbally on the nearby flower vase and it slowly hovered in the air. And he immediately gave the wand back to Ollivander and asked for information, "Mr. Ollivander, please tell me what you can read from the wand."

"It has taken a liking to you Mr. Potter for what reason I do not know. It may be because you being the first person to come in contact with this wand after me, or it may be because of your talent and hardships that you have gone through. But do not mistake it that its allegiance lies only to you Mr. Potter; it has chosen to work for you fairly as it finds you to be intriguing and that is saying something, because every wand respects its maker while this wand didn't. I do not know what to make of this, but I can only warn you to use it carefully." Ollivander explained in detail and he understood the implications quite fairly enough.

"Thank you Mr. Ollivander and how much do I owe you?" he asked the wandmaker.

"80 Galleons Mr. Potter, because it was quite difficult to make a wand with a core this unwilling to be bound into a specific form." Ollivander explained why it was costly, but he expected such a cost, so he was ready. He took this opportunity to buy wand holsters where one can be strapped in his palm and the other one which can be strapped on his hip like they do with a sword or dagger.

Harry took out his purse and paid the man and bid farewell and just as he was making his way out of the shop the wandmaker said.

"And Mr. Potter, please bring it to me immediately if there are any unforeseen complications." Ollivander said and he nodded swiftly and walked out of the wand shop.

After that he went to Gringotts and waited for the goblins to bring an item he asked for which he managed to buy after convincing the goblins that he will not disgrace the item and to bring the necessary amount of money he wanted to withdraw, and finally for the Grangers to show up with Hermione. Finally after an hour of waiting the Griphook came with a cloth wrapped item that he asked for and his purse that had the money, he immediately placed the cloth wrapped item into his bag and put the purse in his pocket.

And just as he was leaving the Grangers walked into the bank with the Weasleys and Hermione immediately called out to him excitedly.

"Harry, is that you?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, what a coincidence…?" He looked as surprised as much as he can be to convince the others.

"Harry." Dan said and extended his arm formally and he shook it and greeted with a nod.

"Mr. Granger"

"Harry, what have we told you about calling us?" Emma asked with a smile.

"Not to, Mrs. Grang…. Mrs. Emma" and Emma nodded.

And then he turned to the Weasleys and then he noticed Arthur, Molly, the twins, Percy, Ginny and Ron and nodded to them formally.

"Harry Potter." Mr. Weasley said and extended his hand.

"Mr. Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." He firmly shook his hand.

"Gred, Forge, Percy, Ron and Mrs. Weasley." He said and nodded to them.

"Hi Harry!" Fred and George said as they grinned while Percy gave an approving nod to him, while Ron looked bored and annoyed and Ginny looked very disappointed that he didn't notice her.

"I'm Molly Weasley, and you can call me Molly…" Molly said and he nodded impassively and held his tongue, as he inwardly seethed at the manipulative woman who ruined his life last time.

"I was just showing Mr. Granger here the Gringotts unit to exchange muggle money into Galleons." Arthur said to him.

"I won't keep you waiting as I was on my way out sir, I'll wait outside." He said politely and almost impassively.

"Hermione can keep you company Harry and she wanted to go to the bookstore, so you both can go." Emma said excitedly and he nodded impassively. And with that Hermione tagged onto him but before they could go Ron, Ginny and the twins joined with them and they left the bank to go to 'Flourish and Blotts'.

As they reached inside Hermione started browsing through school books and other books, while he stood in the shadows not wanting to get caught in between Gilderoy Lockhart's book presentation. Ginny was busy trying to get his attention, as she kept following him like a lost puppy, Ron looked annoyed like he was in the one place that he absolutely detested, and the Weasley twins looked bored.

"Hey, scarhead, I didn't know that you could read." Draco said in his usual degrading sarcasm while descending in the steps behind him.

"I'm not surprised, since you hardly know anything. Meanwhile, I am on the top of the class, while you are somewhere we can't even see…" He retorted with a smile, but before an irritated Draco Malfoy could retort, he heard.

"Draco, play nicely…" Lucius Malfoy said as he gently shoved his son to the side.

"Harry Potter." The Elder Malfoy said and extended his greetings.

"Sorry sir, I usually don't dirty my hands associating myself with trash." He directly insulted the elder Malfoy straight to his face while keeping a very warm, but fake smile on his face.

He didn't stand there waiting for a reply as he moved past the elder Malfoy and Hermione followed suit right after him while the Weasleys got caught in the crowd. And then he and Hermione met the elder Grangers on their way out and shopped for quite a few hours and he told them about his part-time job in a coffee shop as a delivery boy to which they were impressed. And then he and Hermione bid farewell and then he went to his base.

While he kept hoping that Malfoy planted the diary in Ginny's cauldron. The only reason he moved away from there without making sure that it happened was, because then Malfoy wouldn't be able to blame him for the destruction of the diary or the death of the Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk when questioned by Voldemort. And he needed grounds to plead plausible deniability when Snape and Malfoy blame him about things to either Dumbledore or Voldemort.

The rest of the week passed so fast that he only barely managed to convince his uncle to take him to King's Cross, but unlike last year only Vernon came. He reached the station and didn't bother disturbing his uncle and went through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 and was glad that Dobby didn't bewitch the barrier and he went in safely. He reached the platform and then moved across to find an empty compartment and through the crowd he saw bushy haired girl boarding with the help of her parents, he smiled fondly and walked upto them.

"Harry." Hermione said loudly, this got the attention of her parents and they looked at him approvingly.

"Hermione, Mr. Dan and Mrs. Emma…" He greeted them warmly.

"Harry, can we talk privately for a minute?" Dan asked and he nodded in agreement albeit confusedly, but when he glanced at the other two Grangers he saw that both of them were looking at them with an excited smile.

"Harry, Hermione told me everything about your home and general life." Dan began and he shifted uncomfortably and the elder Granger noticed.

"Emma suggested this and I just wanted to ask you, Harry. You are more than welcome to stay with us for the upcoming summer and winter breaks with Hermione and us in case you don't want to go to your uncle's place." Dan said and it shocked him, as this didn't happen last time around so he was not sure how to proceed with this development.

"I…, I, I don't know…" He stammered a little.

"You don't have to make your decision now Harry, you can reply during this Christmas break and we will be happy if you consider our offer. Now shall we move, the train is about to move." Dan said and led him to the train.

They boarded and he took a seat opposite to Hermione and he sat there thinking and finally as the train moved he looked towards the Grangers and smiled warmly and genuinely and they smiled back. With that the train moved and he and Hermione kept waving at the Grangers who were standing with the Weasleys until they became invisible and then he sat there with a huge smile plastered on his face.

" _Life was good"_ he mused.

* * *

 _ **This one is a very long chapter guys, because I didn't want more than a chapter to describe the events of this summer, but still had a lot of ground to cover. And please read my explanation in the beginning of the chapter. And I welcome reviews quite gladly.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Express-**_

Harry and Hermione were the only ones sitting in their compartment, he wondered if Ron or Neville would join them. But he knew that he wouldn't be surprised if Ron chooses to stay away from them, because he practically ignored the redhead during their entire encounter in Diagon Alley. During the brief happenstance with Draco Malfoy in the train, he noticed that Draco gave him a more disgusted look than he his usual does, so he assumed that it has something to do with his more direct insult to Draco's father Lucius in Diagon Alley.

He kept thinking of all the things he achieved this summer, he learned how to fence, improved his instinct in dueling, studied dark arts and curses and finally crippled the financial source of the 'Order of the Phoenix' and literally took back his life. During the last week of the summer break he made a few visits to Knockturn Alley under disguise and he bought a few materials which he would need to kill Salazar Slytherin's basilisk. As he kept thinking, suddenly he remembered something and he immediately went through his backpack and took a wand-holster, which he bought for Hermione as an afterthought.

"Hermione, I bought this for you." He said and handed her the holster.

"It's a wand holster, elastic attached, so even if you drop your wand it won't fall down, because of the rubber thread attached to the end of the wand. All you need to do is flex your wrist and the buoyancy of the thread will do the rest, giving you easy access to the wand from the holster and easy to put it back." He explained quite proudly.

"Thank you, Harry. But why are you giving me this to me?" Hermione asked clearly curious of why Harry would gift 'her' of all people a wand-holster.

"Hermione, we being muggleborn and muggle-raised, we are at a disadvantage. All the other students with magical parents or pureblood families can use magic during the break and practice. But we can't use magic and I think it's unfair and this will give us much better access to our wands, so it's sort of a way to compensate our lack of rehearsal." He explained his logic and besides he just wanted to gift her something, which he didn't mention or want to mention.

"Harry, others can buy this too you know…" Hermione questioned his reasoning with common logic.

"Have you ever seen anyone wearing a holster like this on their wrists in our school, which even includes the seventh year students?" He asked in an obvious tone.

"No, but you cannot neglect the fact that if we can buy this then anybody can and besides simply wearing this will not give us any advantage." She replied smoothly.

"That's why we are going to train in our dueling skills this year." He said with a smile.

Hermione nodded and stayed silent and kept reading while he began again.

"Hermione we may have to study and train extensively this year." He said seriously.

"Why Harry?"

"I have a feeling that things will be difficult this year. We will have to cover more ground in academics and in field." He continued seriously.

"Okay Harry, I will schedule our activities, so that it will not interfere with our regular classes." She replied agreeing with his reasoning.

"Harry, have you decided which of the electives you are going to choose in our third year." She asked clearly excited while his mouth hung open in shock.

"Hermione, you do know that we will only have to choose that at the end of this year, and technically we aren't even second years yet." He asked stunned that Hermione already decided this now.

"Harry, we will have to plan ahead now, so that by the time we get to fourth year, we will be able to cover the OWL exam curriculum and portions. Then by the time we are in our sixth year we will be able to cover NEWT exam portions." She explained her long term plan and he smiled amusedly as he remembered how she was just like this last time around too.

"You will become nutters if you keep planning like this Hermione. You will really need to calm down and take a day off, because now I'm pretty sure that your vacation didn't cool you down." He said it seriously with sarcasm dripping in his response while Hermione glared at him for a minute and then pouted to which he laughed.

Hermione went back to her reading, while he kept watching outside as the train moved and there was a smile in his face the entire time.

"Hermione, your father asked me something this morning and I know that you know what it's about. And when you write him, tell him that I agree on one condition, that I will be a paying guest of sorts…" He said calmly feeling almost happy.

"Harry, you don't have to you…" Hermione started, but he cut her off.

"Hermione, I know what it is like to be a burden and I would hate myself if your parents even think about me like that even if it is for a second, because you and your parents are the closest thing that I have for a family." He said seriously still looking outside, but he didn't expect Hermione to jump from her seat and hug him as tightly as she can and then she pulled back from the hug and sat in front of him.

"Nobody should go through such a life and definitely not you, Harry." Hermione said looking at him in his eyes, in his deep emerald eyes which she couldn't take her eyes off from, but she diverted her gaze forcefully.

"We should get changed; we will be there soon…" He said not noticing Hermione's discomfort; he took the clothes and robes and walked out to change. Ten minutes later he walked back in and he saw that Hermione was already wearing her robes and was reading calmly. He walked inside and sat in front of her and took his newly designed rectangular glasses and wore it and he found the effects gratifying while he placed his old one back into his bag.

"Harry, you changed your glasses and it looks nice. It gives your face a bonier look…" Hermione appreciated his new look.

"Well we all have to have a change once in a while right?" He replied casually.

The rest of the ride back to school was pleasant with some small talks with Hermione and it was calm as there was no interference or interruptions from an annoying Malfoy or from a rather self-absorbed Ron.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts-**_

They were all sitting in the great hall as the sorting ceremony was taking place; he and Hermione were sitting side by side while Ron was sitting a little close with Percy and he noticed the annoyed look on Ron's face. He was broken out of his musing by loud claps from all the Weasleys and many Gryffindors when he turned he saw Ginny walking towards their table and he immediately assumed that she was sorted into Gryffindor just like last time. Ginny took a seat straight across him and smiled timidly at him when he looked at her, but he in return gave her an impassive and indifferent look without betraying any emotions and with that he turned away and started musing again. Ginny's face fell as she couldn't get his attention and some of the older students noticed her reaction and they immediately pieced it together and were amused. And they weren't surprised by Harry's reaction either, Harry was the most antisocial person in their entire house, but alas he was immensely talented and extremely brilliant. So Harry taking an interest in anyone just after glancing at them was considered an extreme rarity.

Finally the sorting ceremony ended and the feast began, while he ate slowly and silently without bothering to talk to anyone. Hermione was talking to a few first year muggleborn students and was explaining about how the entire schooling works and these first years were giving him an awed look and one of them was Colin Creevey. If he wasn't feeling sad about the mental image of a dead Colin Creevey lying in the hands of Oliver Wood and Neville Longbottom, he would have felt annoyed. The rest of the feast went quite well with his small pep talks with the Weasley twins about their new ideas on pranks and new products they were developing for their dream joke shop, and he enjoyed the talks even if it sounded a little immature for him. They returned to their dormitories and he slept calmly and peacefully after the last few stressful days.

Next morning at breakfast he noticed that Ron was once again sitting with Percy, while Percy was giving Ron a planner for the year's courses and subjects and that surprised him, because Ron wasn't a person to plan ahead for anything.

"Say, George. Why is Ron sitting with Percy just like yesterday?" he asked curiously.

"Observant aren't you Harry…" George began

"We didn't think anyone would ask us this soon." Fred completed.

"Mum went bonkers when she saw Ronald's performance on last year's exams…" Fred began.

"So Percy is going to help Ronald with his homework and studies this year" George finished and he nodded.

He felt a little bad for Ron as a part of him told that the reason why Ron got such low marks was, because they didn't become a golden trio due to his plans. While another part of him wasn't really surprised that Ron wasn't able to score well without their help. Last time he always thought that Ron had the potential to do well in exams and the only reason why he couldn't score well was, because of his careless attitude. But now he knew that Ron was just stupid and wasn't a hard worker either, and those were a very bad combination. Another part of him felt kind of happy at Ron's apparent grief and he thought Ron deserved very bit of it.

After breakfast Professor McGonagall handed out their timetables and the first class was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Where they learned how to transplant Mandrake seedlings in which Hermione got them twenty points for all the questions she answered. After that it was transfiguration which went as usual, as he and Hermione successfully performed the spell 'Vera Verto' and transfigured our pets into inanimate objects, which he used to transfigure Hedwig into a glass goblet while Hermione succeeded transfiguring into a beautiful tea cup. Charms class was going as usual were they usually shined in both practically and academically and shoving it into Malfoy's face and irritating Draco to no end.

The D.A.D.A class came and Gilderoy Lockhart introduced himself with a pop quiz about his books and himself. Which he didn't bother answering and he clearly showed his displeasure when the defense teacher paid extra attention to him during class. While all the girls in the class had a dreamy look on their faces during the defense class and he desperately gave a long sigh when he saw that even Hermione was among them, and he took comfort from the fact that she was in control of her mind unlike many others.

The week's classes progressed as usual and double potions class came and as usual a snappish Snape tried to enrage him as much as possible by asking him NEWT level potions questions which he answered correctly much to the chagrin of the former Death-Eater. This incident was obviously reported to Dumbledore and that got the attention of the old Headmaster and a watchful eye from professor McGonagall, so he had to extinguish their curiosity by pretending to read sixth and seventh year potions book in the library.

* * *

 _ **Halloween-**_

That Saturday morning, the Gryffindor team captain Oliver Wood introduced them to the new hour long training regimen that their captain obviously worked very hard on designing, during summer. And he had to admit the fact that Oliver was very ambitious, because last time Oliver designed it, because of them losing in the previous year's Quidditch Cup, but this time Oliver designed, so that they could keep the cup.

And just like last time when they were returning after their practice they saw the Slytherin Quidditch team with Draco as their new seeker and their new set of 'Nimbus 2001' brooms for each member of the team. But unlike last time, when he noticed that Hermione was in the vicinity with them he didn't bother paying any attention to Draco's group of idiots. That was enough for the Slytherin team to ignore them instead and go for their own practice; just as they left he turned towards his teammates and excused himself.

Then he took Hermione to the 'room of requirements' and helped her with her dueling skills. This turned out to be more exhausting than he thought it would be, as Hermione always went by the rules of standard European dueling procedures. He had to keep insinuating the point that nobody is going to follow rules in reality and that nobody will wait a turn for her to attack and especially not the enemies. Finally he was able to get it through to her head after dueling with her personally and beating her seven times straight continuously and by consistently pulling every dirty trick he could think of, even if he didn't need to.

Halloween came and he was happy that he didn't have to attend Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party, as he didn't have any of Filch's detention to escape from. They attended the Halloween's fantastic feast while he kept expecting the first attack from the Basilisk and if it happens then he will have to enable his plans. The feast ended and he heard ominous voice of the basilisk via Parsletongue, as they were leaving and walking up the stairs they noticed the crowd in the second floor corridor and he immediately assumed what it was. And his thoughts were right, as he made his way through the crowd he saw a petrified 'Mrs. Norris', Filch's cat hanging from a torch bracket upside down and the following words written in blood on the nearby wall.

 _ _"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE"__

And he heard Draco Malfoy's proclamation of how the 'mudbloods' will be next and Hermione looking a little shaken by the entire fiasco. And he also heard the discussion between Dumbledore and the other professors about how they will be using the professor Sprout's Mandrakes once they are fully matured to lift the petrification off of Mrs. Norris. While he also noticed the very brief glance which was directed at him by professor Dumbledore, which even the other professors missed.

He briefly thought about discussing his plans with professor Dumbledore which was a very tempting offer as it would make things much easier for him. But he shot down the idea almost instantly, because Dumbledore's involvement this soon will put a wrench in his plans for the events in the upcoming years.

Then during the 'History of Magic' class Hermione convinced professor Binns to tell them about the tale behind 'the Chamber of Secrets' which he did and effectively scared every muggleborn students in the class leaving the pureblood supremacists to revel in their misery. While he amused the thought of berating whoever was enjoying the pureblood fanatics, but he didn't do it as it would make him a mark and a social outcast in wizarding community and that would not help him in the long run. He knew that they called him the most antisocial boy in the school, but that was one of the things he could handle, but not the criticism he may receive from the pureblood idiots, as it always pisses him off.

Hermione being her curious self asked him if he had any idea who this 'heir' might be. In order to keep her out of trouble, and also to keep her alive at the same time he gave some answers about how the chamber was opened fifty years ago. And how Hagrid was convicted for it and sent to Azkaban, but he also assured her that he didn't believe Hagrid was the culprit and someone framed him to get away from the authorities. And he made sure that she wouldn't repeat what he said to anyone at any cost which would only make matters worse for Hagrid and him.

* * *

 _ **Quidditch-**_

A month passed with almost no incidents except Snape trying to antagonizing a little more than usual and no one was surprised when Harry Potter didn't even look fazed during when Snape criticized him. But he was a little upset when Hermione was targeted by Snape's newfound ire, still he kept his face impassive and calm defeating Snape of his objective consistently.

Then the Quidditch match arrived and he had to endure the continuous boasting of Draco Malfoy in class about how his father sponsored and got 'Nimbus 2001' brooms for each and every member in the entire Slytherin team. The first Quidditch match was against Slytherin and he went through his memories of the match from last time. He used his top of the line Occulumency to find out how he won and then he found all the mistakes and noted the positions of the snitch during the various times in the match. He did this so he can catch the snitch as fast as possible, and since there will be no rogue bludgers bewitched by Dobby this time around, he considered it a very easy match.

Within a week they stood before the Quidditch pitch waiting for the door to open and when the gate opened, they all flew into the pitch and took their respective positions. Draco Malfoy placed himself opposite to Harry with a swaggering grin plastered on his face; Draco was so confident that he will win with his new and faster broom so much that he didn't care how skilled his opponent was.

The game began with a whistle from Madam Hooch and he noticed that the snitch wasn't anywhere near, so he resorted to diverting the attention of the Slytherin chasers and beaters. With the help of the Gryffindor chasers they were able to successfully hold the Slytherin team's defense while the Weasley twins went to defensive formation and defended their keeper. Their tactics was successful as their attackers were able to score twelve goals and a hundred and twenty points, while the Slytherin only succeeded in scoring forty points.

And just when the Slytherin team understood their strategy and tried to outdo them, they changed the tactics again and this time he went to do his job and went after the snitch with an enraged Draco Malfoy on his tail. While he went for the snitch his team went on full defensive position and didn't bother with trying to score anymore points.

He flew out of the pitch trying to catch the snitch while Draco followed him, but even with Draco's new 'Nimbus 2001' it became almost impossible to keep up on his tail. Finally he got a slight opening when Malfoy decided to go around him and that was enough for him to catch the snitch while attempting a full dive. And before Draco could even get to him he was on his way back to the pitch and the end result was that they won a tremendous victory. At the end they won with 270 to 40 points with a solid 230 points lead, while the Slytherins ended up with a humiliating loss and the new Nimbus 2001s only added insult to the injury.

For the rest of the week the Slytherin's humiliating loss to Gryffindor was the second hottest topic in school only succeeding by the news of Colin Creevey's petrification. He also noticed the fleeing spiders which was leaving the castle, as the residing basilisk was once again actively hunting. He told Hermione about the fleeing spiders and about the ambient voices which he kept hearing. He also warned her that there might be another attack soon and told her to be very careful.

* * *

 _ **Christmas Season-**_

Harry was sitting on top of a rock near the black lake thinking deeply about many things that was plaguing his mind. Their D.A.D.A professor Gilderoy Lockhart began a dueling club the day before which he didn't sign up for this time around, since he knew the entire club was going to be a complete waste of time. And besides it was taught by two of his least favorite teachers Snape and Lockhart and he had no intention of learning anything from those two idiots. And he also didn't need anyone knowing that he was a Parslemouth, as it would deface his entire image of brilliant, but law abiding student figure. And just around then he heard that another second year Hufflepuff student Justin Finch-Fletchley was petrified and he very well knew who this person was. So he decided that he will have reveal to Dumbledore about him being a Parslemouth indirectly through another topic, because the old goat was getting overly suspicious of his overly studious attitude and his constant disappearances to the 'room of requirements'.

Christmas was around the corner and he wasn't going to the Granger residence with Hermione as planned, because he had to sort out a few things during the break. So he sent a letter to Mr. Daniel Granger saying that he wouldn't be coming during this break and asked for permission to stay with them during the summer break. And he got a positive response saying that he will be welcome in their house and that they were a little disappointed that he will not be able to join them for Christmas.

The only reason he couldn't go with Hermione was because he needed to work on a few topics like 'timed bewitchments' and a few advanced 'transfiguration spells'. He knew the spells, but he needed some uninterrupted time to practice them leisurely and continuously for very long hours, so that he can cast them nonverbally. And he was also looking into Animagi transformations, as he found the entire topic to be very fascinating and overly helpful.

He was broken out of his musing when a dirty blonde haired girl ran to the side of the lake and kneeled down as she cried. He was on high ground on a rock a fair distance away, so she didn't notice him being seated there. The girl was wearing Ravenclaw robes and she looked like she was a first year, so he was lost to what might get this girl to cry this hard. But nonetheless he decided to ask what was wrong with her, so he carefully walked down and went beside her.

"Hello, are you alright?" He asked a little concernedly but more curiously. The blonde girl turned to look at him and he was shocked to see a young teary eyed Luna Lovegood looking back at him expecting him to say something about her.

"Well, you obviously aren't, but I must ask you who are you?" He asked to make sure this girl was indeed who he thinks she was… Luna didn't answer him, but kept crying and expected him to leave the area not bothering her, he used his subtle Legilimency on her and he instantly got a headache by facing all those incoherent thoughts that surfaced in her mind simultaneously. Finally he found the most relevantly recent thoughts, and he surmised that he needed to assure her that he was here to help and not to hurt her, so he placed a hand on her shoulder in an assuring manner and gave a warm brotherly smile, which eased her mind enough to reply.

"I, I'm… Luna, Lovegood." The crying girl replied hesitantly while sniffing between the words.

"Ok Luna, may I ask you why you're here and why you are crying?" He asked again, but this time a little seriously, but softly.

"My classmates call me Loony and they tease me constantly, they also won't let me go inside my own dorm and they lock me out at nights." Luna explained quietly sniffing occasionally, but ceased crying. He felt empathetic towards the girl with a tinge of anger and he could see that Luna would not be able to make any friends for at least a few years if she can't do it now.

"Do you know why they tease you?" He asked, but he still had a good idea of what could have caused this treatment nonetheless he was willing to take the time to correct it.

"I don't know, but they laugh at me when I told them about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks or Wrackspurts…" Luna replied very seriously while still sniffing and he was clearly amused, but still he smiled fondly as he long ago accepted that _this_ was the strange girl he knew and grew to like.

"Well I can say that a few really are mythical creatures while the others do indeed exist." He replied carefully as he didn't want to end up offending Luna. And Luna looked at him curiously because she expected him to be confused or laugh at her, but she found him so different unlike many others.

"Luna, are you interested in Magizoology?" He asked trying to change the topic and divert her attention to lighter topics so to lift her mood and it worked beautifully as she looked at him curiously, while forgetting all her depressing thoughts.

"Let's go. I have a few things to show you and trust me it will help you greatly." And he led her to the library and showed her many books on Magizoology and the study of Magical Creatures. Without a doubt she was fascinated by it and that was enough for him to recommend her to study furiously on her Herbology class and he also prompted her to learn as much as she can about magical creatures.

Almost an hour later they came out of the library with a pile of books in Luna's hand and he walked with her to Ravenclaw tower.

"And by the way I'm Harry Potter…" He introduced himself properly.

"I know who you are, Harry." Luna said enthusiastically and dreamily whilst all the sadness being long forgotten.

"Tomorrow I will introduce you to my friend and he is the best handler of Magical Creatures that I know of…" He said and she nodded excitedly and skipped her way into the Ravenclaw common room.

He promptly turned and walked to the Charms professor's room to inform the Ravenclaw head of the issue at hand. He knocked and within a few minutes the door opened and professor Flitwick was sitting inside looking confusedly at him, while wondering what might have caused a bright student like Harry Potter to come to his room on a weekend.

"Professor I have a complaint against Ravenclaw students, sir." He said sternly and impassively.

"And what might that be Mr. Potter?" The Ravenclaw head asked calmly but alertly.

"Luna Lovegood is a good friend of mine and she is being mistreated inside her own house. She was upset about the whole issue that she didn't want to file a complaint as she was afraid that it would only make her assailants more belligerent" he complained to the half-goblin dueling champion.

"I will look into this issue immediately Mr. Potter. Until this issue is resolved there will be constant watch inside my house, as I can clearly see the severity of the issue, since a Gryffindor student has to complain to me, for me to know about what happens inside my house." Charms professor said out loud clearly disappointed and he nodded.

"Thank you for informing me of this, Mr. Potter." And with that he made his way to the room of requirements to study for the rest of the day.

The very next day Luna thanked him for his help and repeatedly kept telling him how her roommates and housemates almost stopped making fun of her after professor Flitwick's fierce scolding. And then he introduced Luna to Hagrid while he praised the half-giant about his skill in handling dangerous magical creatures. And then he introduced her to Neville so that they can study Herbology together as it would make it more interesting for Neville and it would give Luna the advantage of learning things easily.

* * *

For Christmas he sent gifts to Hermione, the Weasley twins, Hagrid, Neville and Luna, while he received a few gifts from them as well. During the Christmas break he practiced extensively on charms, spells and curses which can be considered dark with his new wand and fortunately the wand didn't resist the massive amount of magic he kept using constantly. And when he started using 'Conjuration Spells' and 'Transfiguration Spells', his magical core started running out within a very short period of time. He first started conjuring small things like water, cloth fabrics and materials like simple metals, but soon when he started with other metals it became much difficult. But the difficulty only made it much more challenging for him and him being a person who doesn't shrink from an honest challenge, he took it seriously to ensure maximum results.

He also got Lockhart to sign him the permission slip to grant him access to the forbidden section of the library. Once he was there he searched a few books on Magical creatures, finally he got what he wanted, and so he checked the books out from the library for his next part of his plan. As three attacks have already happened he decided not to wait anymore and to begin his plans in a few days and he will end this growing calamity, before it could escalate any further.

The Christmas break ended and Hermione came back and the classes continued as usual and weeks passed. It was a Tuesday afternoon and after the first class which was Transfiguration the rest of the day was free, so he ran up to find Hermione to tell her what he found out, but to make it look like that he just so did that instant. He found her sitting in the library and reading potions book, he went near her and sat beside her and said.

"Hermione, we need to talk alone." He said seriously.

"Why Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"Meet me in the room of requirements in ten minutes…" He said and walked out of the Library.

Hermione was confused, but this was Harry so she immediately walked out of the Library and headed to the common room and then she went to her dormitory and set all her materials in her bed and then went to the seventh floor corridor. Hermione opened the door of the room of requirement and found Harry sitting by a table with a book open in front of him.

"Harry, why did call me here?" Hermione asked a little annoyed due to being robbed of her study time.

"Well I found out what's attacking the students in the school" he said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean by 'found out'?" Hermione asked clearly surprised.

To this he placed the open book in front of her which had an open page explaining about Basilisks. Hermione read the whole page twice and then came to the conclusion that this bloody large snake was the monster of 'the Chamber of Secrets'. And everything added up as the Basilisk can kill its prey with a single gaze and everyone was petrified, because they all saw the Basilisk through a medium and not directly. And the fleeing spiders only made it much more convincing and it was all circumstantial at the moment, as still there was no explanation for how the Basilisk could sneak around the castle without anyone noticing. He purposefully left that part out, because he felt that Hermione should be the one to figure it out and he knew that he wouldn't be disappointed.

"If we can find out how it is moving around undetected then we can inform about this to Headmaster Dumbledore and he will take care of it…" He half-lied to her and she nodded affirmatively.

* * *

 _ **Chamber of Secrets-**_

That Friday, he headed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom expecting to find something, and he wasn't disappointed as he found the bathroom flooded by Myrtle obviously, but he didn't waste any time talking to the sulking ghost and he picked up the Horcrux diary and walked away from the bathroom. He went up to his dorm and placed the diary in his bag and placed a few defensive charms around it in case somebody tries to snoop around.

That Sunday morning, he took some books and headed to the room of requirement as usual, to others it looked like he was going to study which was a normal occurrence on every weekend. So nobody cared and that was exactly what he wanted, he went to the room of requirement with the diary among the books he was carrying. Once he got there he took off his robes and wore his wand holster on his wrist and on his hip and he placed both of his wands in them. He strapped the belt which held a goblin made dagger onto his back, he bought the dagger from the goblins after a long discussion and after spending quite an amount of money he succeeded in buying it. Then he took his invisibility cloak and wore it like a robe with cape and he placed a disillusionment charm on himself for extra security.

After that he made his way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and he place a notice-me-not charm and an illusion on the door to secure the place. He walked to the basin with a tap which had a snake's design engraved on it and he spoke.

' _ **Open'**_ in Parsletongue. And the entire set of washbasins moved away and revealed a large pipe and he jumped into it without an ounce of hesitation. He slid down and reached the underground tunnels and he walked along the tunnel which he remembered vividly and then on his way he saw the giant skin of the basilisk and then he reached the gate for the chamber.

' _ **Open'**_ he said again and the gate opened with a scraping noise. He walked inside the door and went through the huge pillars and finally reached the sculpted face of Salazar Slytherin.

He looked at it deeply and whispered in Parsletongue and the mouth opened and the sixty foot long Basilisk came out and gave a primal roar.

" _Time to Work…"_

* * *

 _ **Sorry friends it took too long, as I was preoccupied with some personal work. I will try to update as soon as possible and thank you for your support till now. And reviews are appreciated.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I had to cut out all of the fun scenes and conversations in this chapter because I had a lot of ground to cover on base topics, so I admit this chapter is boring, so please try not to hate me. And as Hermione will be back in this chapter and from now on the chapters will be long and the number of upcoming have just gone up, as I will be explaining many finer details and I will be covering a lot of small incidents precisely. So I ask the readers to have patience and bear with the upcoming chapters as they will not be moving in a rapid pace.**

* * *

 _ **The Chamber of Secrets-**_

Harry took his time and slowly walked around the chamber and placed small black marbles around the different parts of the chamber and then he made his way back to the giant sculpture. He looked at the sculpted face of Salazar Slytherin deeply and whispered in Parsletongue and the mouth of the statue opened and slowly the sixty foot long Basilisk came out and gave a primal roar.

" _Time to Work…"_ He mused.

Just as the Basilisk set its sights on him he took his blackthorn wand and pointed at it and said "Lumos Maxima" and as a result a blinding light engulfed the entire chamber. The bright light lasted or a few seconds, he being the caster of the blinding light knew when to close his eyes, so during which he apparated to the far end of the chamber. The basilisk couldn't recover from the effects of the blinding light very easily as he did, so he used that moment of opportunity to wave his wand in a wave like sweep and sent out a trigger signal. Suddenly there were multiple popping sounds which echoed across the chamber, meanwhile the small black marbles he previously scattered throughout the chamber, all transformed into fully matured roosters. The small black marbles were specially designed dark material that can be transfigured into anything of any size (elephant included) for a temporary period.

And as dark items these are illegal and very costly, and these cannot be detected by any wards once it is keyed to a witch/wizards magic and this was what he purchased in Knockturn Alley. As his timed bewitchments (Transfiguration) were working flawlessly he decided to move onto his next step, so he pointed his wand upwards and said.

"Periculum…" He said and he shot a red spark upwards and the red spark touched the ceiling of the chamber and it split into the many smaller red spark and was scattered all around the chamber. The red sparks coated the entire chamber into red tinge of darkness and it was enough to startle the roosters to trigger their visceral sense.

Suddenly there was a single rooster's crow that echoed throughout the entire dungeon-like room and that echo slowly started multiplying and that single crow changed into many and he waved his wand into an overhead circle and he activated the 'reflecting _Sonorus_ charms' that he previously placed as a precaution. The crows of all the roosters were all amplified and Basilisk was roaring in anger continuously as it couldn't bear the roosters' loud crowing. Contrary to common belief a single rooster's crow would not be enough to kill a century old fully matured Basilisk, it would weaken the beast for sure, but not kill.

In the future Harry Potter was the only person in the world who had the international magical license to breed Basilisks and study them for his research paper. In actuality he paid a few governments with small fortunes to get the license for breeding Basilisks, but that was unnecessary information. Fighting a basilisk was child's play for him as he knew almost everything about the Basilisk's biology and its magical conception to power.

So he knew that crows of the multiple roosters would do the trick and it worked beautifully, as the basilisk couldn't do anything with its over-sensitive hearing. It tried to move away deep into the chamber, but he intercepted the snake by sending a powerful beam of lightning that destroyed the two consecutive chamber pillars that it came into contact with. His lightning attack successfully directed the Basilisk to the other side and he kept following it from a safe distance. Meanwhile he kept firing dark curses which ranged from the 'reductor curse' to the 'disintegration curse' and he successfully cornered it in a dead-end and he forcefully inserted it into a chokepoint. As a result it coiled around itself and laid still, it was trying to survive the combined assault of his spells and the roosters' continuous crowing by going into hibernation. But he knew better, he knew that the Basilisk would die soon, even with its very adept defense mechanism of going into deep sleep without worrying about his curses as its magical warding on its skin would keep it out of any mortal wound even at the cost of overwhelming pain.

And he also knew that going near that snake in such an unstable condition with its eyes still intact was suicide. So he pointed his wand and gave a circular wave and said "Avis." And he started conjuring male eagles, and when there were multitudes of eagles he Imperiused them all and pointed his wand to the Basilisk, he Imperiused them as a precaution because he did not want any of the eagles attacking the roosters. The eagles attacked the weakened basilisk from all sides and the basilisk couldn't do anything, as its powerful gaze didn't work on the male eagles, because eagles are natural predators of both the snakes and roosters.

Within minutes the basilisk started wailing out pained roars, as the weakened Basilisk couldn't take the roosters' crowing and the eagle attacks while his dark curses were taking an effect on its physical condition. And finally the roosters' crowing proved fatal and the Basilisk died after spinning and thrashing or a while. He then walked closer to the fallen beast and he banished all the eagles with a non-verbal banishing spell and then he silently examined the beast and noticed that the eyes of the snake were pecked out. After he finished inspecting the dead snake he climbed on top of its head and then he took the large goblin made dagger out from his belt and then he triangulated the location of the venom pouch on the outside and stabbed it multiple times. Once he made sure that the dagger was coated with the poison of the Basilisk's venom, he walked down and casted preservation charms all around the large beast and connected it to the magic of the school's source of magical leylines.

Once it was done he took the diary and threw it inside the open mouth of Salazar Slytherin's sculpted face, and then he held his wand aloft and said "Fiendfyre" and then he shot cursed flames into the mouth of the statue towards the diary. When he heard the screeching noise which erected from the diary, he said _**'Close'**_ in Parsletongue and the mouth the statue closed destroying the Horcrux in the process.

The flames from the Fiendfyre were starting to spread from the gaps of the statue's closed mouth, but he was already prepared for this and he immediately said, "Partis Temporus" and the spreading flames started dispersing into many smaller flames. Again he yelled, "Aqua Eructo" and then he shot huge jet of water from the tip of his wand to the smaller flames and then he bewitched the water all around the chamber and put off the larger flames among them.

At last the diary was destroyed and the Basilisk was slain and essentially his work was done. He made his way out of the chamber and closed it carefully and then he dispelled the illusion and notice-me-not charm. After that he placed a monitoring charm on the entrance if anybody tries to open it then he will be instantly alerted, he did this as a precaution because only Voldemort will be able to open it and he opening the chamber would alert him of Voldemort's presence in the castle. After that he went to the room of requirement and cleaned himself up and then he placed all of his accessories safely and then he went back to his dormitory.

* * *

 _ **Next Day-**_

The very next day Hermione came running into the room of requirement and said out of breath, "Harry, I think I know how the Basilisk is been travelling around the school undetected."

"How?" He asked still acting to be confused.

"Pipes Harry, pipes. It's using the plumbing to move around to different parts of the school." Hermione said excitedly.

"How can you be so sure? And besides it's a bloody big snake and the pipes aren't that big enough for it to move." He asked back logically.

"Basilisk is a snake, so like all snakes it too can alter its bone structure partially, so loosening its bones and constricting its muscles to move squeeze through big pipes is really not that difficult of a task. And like you previously said it's a centuries old snake, so we don't exactly know what it's capable of and it may have special powers unlike the documented ones." Hermione said seriously.

"Okay, if you are so sure about this then I believe you…" He agreed casually.

"Come on Harry, we will have to report this to the Dumbledore now." Hermione said and literally dragged him to McGonagall who in turn led them to the Headmaster's office.

* * *

Their 'chat' with the Headmaster was a complete mess, because Hermione being a law abiding student she was, told each and every single detail to professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout which also included his ability to converse with snakes. He wasn't actually surprised that Hermione told the professors everything, but he expected her to stay calm and rational while she explained. But unfortunately that didn't happen because 'Snivellus' Snape almost ruined everything by riling Hermione up and he had to take over the explanation to calm Hermione down. Well at least four of the five professors openly supported Harry giving Snape a really hard time to support his own points to make him look culpable for all the attacks. But unfortunately when they questioned him why he never shared anything with the teachers, he was only able to give a silly reason like he didn't want his fellow students to think he was going insane and also because of his overpowering tendency to attract attention. Well at least some good came out with their discussion, because the 'chat' simply boosted Hermione's moral image among the teachers and he hoped that it will help them in the long run.

And he was also able to totally convince the headmaster that he really was untrained in Legilimency and Occulumency, because he placed a lot of surface thoughts in his mind while pretending to be agitated. So Dumbledore now thought of him as a brilliant and capable student who was still unbearably innocent, conveniently taking him off Dumbledore's list of potential threats and suspicions and in the end it turned out to be a good thing. But the downside was that even if the majority of teachers supported him, this incident instilled doubt in their minds, so making them vulnerable to Dumbledore's manipulation and he was sure that Dumbledore wouldn't let this go waste. So now he was restricted to playing this game without blinking in Dumbledore's radar and this will make things much more difficult in the future.

* * *

 _ **Valentine's Day-**_

A month passed by and Valentine's Day arrived, he was both relaxed and relieved because he half expected Snape to expose him of being a Parslemouth and fortunately the potion's professor didn't, but he assumed Dumbledore might have had a hand in that topic. Hermione calmed down considerably and she again began to concentrate in her studies extensively and this made her to prompt him to write and read nonstop.

Currently he was sitting in the great hall having his breakfast. The Great hall was painted in pink and dwarves were disguised as cupids and were distributing out Valentine's Day cards, much to the chagrin of all the other staffs other than Lockhart. And this time he noticed a cupid-dwarf heading towards him, but unlike last time the dwarf had a bunch of cards in its hand and this honestly horrified him. Because last time a single card was embarrassing enough and he was not going to stand by it this time around, hence he fixed a spine chilling glare to the approaching dwarf. The dwarf was wise enough and decided to move away and when the cupid-dwarf went away he sighed in relief, but when he turned around to look at his table, almost everyone were staring at him expectantly looking for an explanation.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"Come on Harry you can share it with us…" George began with an annoying grin.

"…you can 'trust' us." Fred finished with the same grin.

"Why don't you both ask your sister?" He said out loud in an obvious and disenchanted and uncaring tone and he impassively continued with his breakfast. While Ron, Percy, Fred and George looked at Ginny simultaneously and Ginny in turn kept her head down blushing like a cherry. Ron looked like he was going to throw up; Fred and George were as usual amused while Percy looked impassive with a tinge of smile in his face. While almost all of the older students were equally amused by Ginny's expression to his comment.

* * *

The next four months passed away so fast that he couldn't even keep track of his schedule while he made several trips to the Chamber of Secrets which became his next best place to train and there he practiced intense dueling. His Fiendfyre flames gave birth to an Ashwinder which he killed instantly after finding out about it, he briefly fancied a thought about commanding it via Parsletongue but then he decided against it, as it honestly made him look like a 'certain power hungry someone'. Using the 'Chamber of Secrets' as a place to train, and there he trained in bewitching water, rock and dust, so it can be used in active dueling and he also trained in many other spells and curses which cannot be practiced in the 'room of requirements'. He used the room of requirements for training in non-destructive spells and to work on tactics, while he went to the chamber when he usually suspected that his practice may go out of hand. And he also used this time to plan ahead for his meeting with Sirius, because he was not going to let Sirius run around like a mad man for an entire year and besides over the course of the last two years he had already made necessary arrangements to capture Pettigrew/Scabbers, while the transformed rat was in his dorm room.

During this time he also used pieces of the Basilisk's skin to fashion himself a new wand-holster, a pair of battle gloves and a utility belt which will be able to ward of many dark curses. It took him around three months to successfully process the skin without losing the potency of the magical warding protection on it and he had to work carefully to change the magical source of warding from the school's leylines to the user who wears it. The strength of the magical protection was what led him to the idea of using it create the holster, gloves and belt. During the brief fight with the Basilisk he noticed that most of the dark curses he fired didn't harm the beast and many were repelled by the warding and very few caused damage, which is how he measured the strength of the protection wards.

Meanwhile without the fourth attack the ministry didn't find it necessary to interfere in Hogwarts business and Malfoy Senior simply didn't have enough grounds to remove Dumbledore or to prompt the directors' council to arrest Hagrid. And as the attacks stopped and everything was fine and the petrified people were all brought back with the Mandrake draughts prepared by Snape with the supplies provided by professor Sprout. Everything went back to normal and the last four months became the most normal months in the entire year, while Dumbledore and the other professors stopped their scrutinizing look on him and he made sure that he was out of their suspicion list.

He spent most of his time with Hermione, Neville and Luna, while he visited Hagrid and occasionally spent his time with the Weasley twins and helped them with many ideas on pranks. He actually gave them the ideas of products he once saw in a South African joke shop while he was there for a case. Luna and Neville became thick friends as their combined sessions in Herbology got them closer while Luna also spent a lot of time with Hagrid in the dark forest looking for rare species of magical creatures. Hermione was so excited when he said that he had access to the restricted sections which he got from Lockhart and they both spent most of their time in the Library which was not a surprise to anyone.

* * *

 _ **Quidditch-**_

His next Quidditch match came and he was now out of luck, because he never played this game the last time around. But nonetheless the entire Gryffindor team under the captaincy of Oliver Wood trained non-stop to make sure that they win this match. Hufflepuff's team wasn't arrogant like the Slytherins so they will have to be extra careful or else it would cost them their match.

The gates opened and they took their respective positions in the air and when the whistle blew the match began. Their early efforts to score as much points as possible didn't work, as the Hufflepuffs assembled a formidable defense and blocked almost all of their goals. The first half ended with twenty points on both the sides and they were at a strategic standstill and he decided that they should be the ones to make a move.

So he flew towards Wood and said, "Captain, we need an opening and we will only be able to get one when they decide to switch tactics and that will only happen if we give them a reason to change maneuvers. We both will be on the defense for now and tell the others to go on offense and when they switch their tactics we will go to full defense even if we don't score any points."

"It is too risky Harry, we being the only defense here and it will leave us open for too long and besides what makes you think that they will change tactics. Right now they have a good defense and if we go on offense then we will be giving them a reason to stay like that and in the end, we will just end up being more tired." Oliver reasoned.

"I don't think so, you see you are right we will become a tempting target, so I am betting that they will try to switch tactics and when they do, we will have an opening during the transition, but we will have to make it count." He said trying to convince his captain.

"What happens if they catch the snitch?" Wood asked logically.

"It has not shown itself yet and when it comes out I will go hunting and if I can't catch it then I will make sure that they don't too…" He replied confidently. Wood kept thinking for a few minutes then he nodded and agreed with Harry's reasoning and accepted that they should take the gamble.

At first their ploy didn't work as the Hufflepuff team didn't break their defensive formation and they managed to score another sixty points putting pressure on the Gryffindors. But he decided to take the gamble and went into full offence and the Hufflepuff team found them defenseless and an easy chance to score, so the Hufflepuffs decided to switch the strategy and attack them head on. But neither Wood nor him expected the Weasley twins to pull shock assault which consisted of beating the bludgers continuously in parallel lines and took out both the Hufflepuff beaters and a chaser from the game, while their approach to our rings. This was enough to destabilize the Hufflepuff team that caused the game to turn a complete hundred and eighty degree turn within minutes while Alicia spinnet and Angelina Johnson used this opportunity to score goal after goal consecutively. And as a result they ended up having a ten point lead over Hufflepuff, 70:60. He and Cedric tried a few goes for the snitch, but this time they couldn't get past each other and finally they both ended up falling from their respective brooms and out of the match. Losing both the seekers turned the game into a timed match and in the end Gryffindor won a slim victory over Hufflepuff.

The Weasley twins were declared the heroes of the game and the Gryffindor house was in for celebration as they haven't lost a single game since he joined the team and they ended up calling him the 'Lucky Silver'. The twins used this opportunity of fame and sold as many as their pranking items they invented recently or earlier and as much as he noticed they earned quite a lot of money and he was amused by the twins' business minds. For the next couple of weeks Gryffindor's thrilling victory against the Hufflepuffs was the most spoken topic in school and his newly acquired name just succeeding it.

* * *

 _ **Saturday Morning-**_

It was the end of the month and the final exams were just around the corner, so he was busy revising everything he remembered by sitting outside in the grass pastures under a tree. He saw Hermione in the distance and he was sure that she was walking towards him with a disgruntled look on her face and that surprised him. Hermione was never angry or annoyed when it came to him being the one involved in any discussion. Hermione came to a halt and stood before him looking at him shrewdly and judiciously.

"Harry, I am back." She said sternly.

"Okaaay, where did you go?" He asked unsurely as he was clearly lost at what was going on.

"Harry…, I am back." She said taking a deep breath.

"I heard that Hermione…, but I don't know where you went for you to come back." He said being still lost to what Hermione was implying.

"Harry. _I AM BACK._ " She stressed as she said it and it took him a few seconds to understand what she was meaning. And when he understood it he looked stunned and then a small smile came to his face which grew into a full lopsided grin.

"Oh my god, yes, yes, YE…" He was interrupted by a strong slap to his left cheek.

Now he was confused again _"What just happened?"_ he mused, he tried turn and face her again but another slap prevented it. Next was a punch to the left side of his face and the strength of the punch sent him sprawling to the ground and then he lost balance and he rolled down the grassy slope. He balanced himself from the roll then turned around and lay facing the sky and when he tried to get up Hermione placed her foot on his chest keeping him down and holding the tip of her wand to his face.

Hermione was confused when she woke up this morning and her splitting headache did not help either and that was when she noticed something unusual, because the last thing she remembered was attempting the 'time warp charm' with Harry and now she was in her dorm bed. A smile graced her lips as she understood that the charm worked and she was back in the past which was her current present, she just wanted to jump in joy but that would raise suspicion, so she decided to go through her memories to find out what's going on. It took her over an hour to organize everything in her mind, because she had overlapping memory for the events in the last two years of her life. And when she reviewed the memories for the last two years, she found that there was almost nothing worth of information in there except the mildly doubtful events. All the memories were so unsuspicious that if she didn't have any insight of what happened last time then she would have never suspected anything. And that's when it became clear to her that Harry came back before her and didn't include her into anything and decided to play hero all by himself and he manipulated her every move from the first day in Hogwarts. She was so mad at Harry, because for her it felt like that she just escaped from a life controlled by Ronald Weasley only to be stuck in Harry's web. She hated to be controlled by anyone and after her marriage with Ron she absolutely detested it, now she felt betrayed so she was so furious that she just wanted go and murder Harry Potter at the very moment prophesies be damned, and that was exactly what she attempted.

"Give me one good reason why I should spare you?" Hermione said with a reductor curse on the tip of her wand which was in front of his face.

"I can give you two… One you need to listen and two you are outmatched." Harry replied and at that very moment he used his right arm and delivered a strong sweeping chop to Hermione's right leg on his chest and he cast a wandless 'stunner' from his left hand that was not strong enough to stun, but just enough to disorient and disarm her. He rolled to his left just as Hermione stumbled and he quickly got up and caught hold of her wand which was hanging via rubber thread from her wand holster and he went behind her and choked her neck with his entire left arm and immobilized her and he pushed the tip of her wand on the right side of her neck with his right hand.

"Now explain why you assaulted me?" He asked calmly.

"YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY." Hermione yelled as she was too enraged that Harry just pulled a move on her like that without answering her.

"Stop your shouting and explain. I haven't the foggiest for why you attacked me." He replied calmly with anger resonating in his gruff voice. And Hermione didn't answer as she herself was in deep thought of why Harry was acting like he did not know, while he used his subtle Legilimency on her and read her thoughts.

Once he reviewed her thoughts he said, "Meet me in the 'room of requirements' in FIFTEEN minutes…" He let her loose and pushed her forward a little and said in a voice that showed anger and directed a pointing look.

With that he walked towards the castle all the while he used his Occulumency and clamed himself forcefully. He knew that Hermione was not thinking clearly when she attacked him, but slapping him in the face twice was something he would never forgive, because he has never let anyone touch him without his permission. He had this strange fantasy of living with his mother and father, where he would be the child and they being the caring parents. He never having a healthy childhood led him to fantasize about a life with no Voldemort and his parents being alive. So he being the mischievous and naughty child and getting playfully punished for it by his mother was a beautiful dream. Even after being an adult for so long he couldn't just forget it, eventually he did outgrew the fantasy and matured, but still he couldn't forget the idea of a dream world without Voldemort ever existing. And she just stole one of the things he ever wanted to feel still knowing that he will never be able to, nevertheless wishing for it to come true. He went to the seventh floor corridor and wished for the room and opened it and when it opened he walked in and stood there facing the fire that was burning and calmed himself by taking deep breaths.

In fifteen minutes Hermione opened the door and walked in looking at him impassively while he didn't even turn to look at her and kept staring at the flames and pointed his hand to a chair and indicated her to take a seat and when she took the seat he began.

"Why did you slap me?" He asked with nothing in his voice so hollow that actually surprised Hermione.

"You know why, Harry. You manipulated me for your liking and played me for a fool and turned me into something I am not and kept doing to me for two years, when you could have just given me my memories and everything would have gone normally. And you didn't include me into anything that we did together for the first two years last time, so you can be a hero and be seen doing it. You are no different than Ronald, who just wanted power over everyone, but at least he had the guts to agree with his intentions while you are a coward who played with other's feeling and thoughts, while you hid in the shadows." Hermione said loudly and stopped out of breath. She was so angry that she had no idea what she was yelling, she came back to change her life and help Harry change his, but not to be his puppet.

Every single word Hermione uttered felt like a hammer to the nail and he was so angry that he just wanted to destroy everything in sight, but he suppressed his emotions so that he can sort this out. While another part of him was questioning of why Hermione was accusing him of all the things that he never would consciously do, but it was just so clear that he messed it all up. And it also showed him that either Hermione never really knew him at all or she just forgot what he was like, to the point where she obviously thought of Ron as a better man than him; even after all the things that Ron did to her.

He never wanted attention, all he ever wanted was to be normal and have a normal life without worrying about anyone trying to kill him or not living in misery your entire life because of your mistakes in the past, that's all he ever wanted. And he thought Hermione knew all of this and he was pretty sure that she knew it when they were in school, but what happened to her in thirteen years that made her to forget almost everything about him.

"Answer me honestly Hermione, what would have happened if I had merged the memories of a thirty one year old married mother Hermione Weasley into the body of an eleven year old Hermione Granger?" He asked still staring at the brightly burning flames suppressing the emotions from his shaky voice. Hermione was going to answer impatiently because she felt the question to be absolutely stupid, but he cut her off again and continued.

"And remember that I would have only been able to give you your memories, but not your experiences, not your feelings, not your consciousness but just memories. Think carefully before you answer me Hermione." He finished and he was still staring at the fire.

There was a long silence and Hermione sat there thinking silently and with every passing minute she could see that he was right, if Harry had given her the memories of her future self then her younger self would have thought herself to be insane. She could see her mistake; she could see that she jumped to conclusions without checking for the facts. And that her anger blinded her of her rational part of her mind, she was impatient ever since she came back and she just clearly ruined everything. She could also see that Harry was hurt and that he was trying his level best to say calm and resolve the situation.

"Hermione, it is clear that you do not know me as clearly as I wanted for you to know. I am sorry if I offended you in any way, you can go and have your life like the way you want it to be. You came back to change your life, so that it can go differently from the way it turned to be in reality. But I am here to save lives as much as I can without expecting anything from anyone and there is no reason for you to help me as I am doing rather well even without your help. It was always your choice to help me and it still is and I won't hold it against you for choosing otherwise. And if you want your life to go differently unlike last time, so please help yourself and do not bother me, because unlike you I have a world to save." He declared impassively and in a hollow tone and with that he walked out of the room swiftly without listening to her stuttering reasons.

* * *

 _ **Chamber of Secrets-**_

Harry walked out of the 'room of requirement' and made his way to Myrtle Warren's bathroom and opened the Chamber's entrance and when he reached into the inner chamber. He kneeled down on one knee and he struggled to control his sad feelings, the pain of breaking his friendship with Hermione was unbearable. He was unconsciously projecting out his own magic and as a result the water around him raised several feets higher into a huge wave that danced and swayed as his magic acted as a form of telekinesis, until it came to rest eventually as he calmed down. When he calmed down he stood up and turned away to go to his dorm, but something caught his eye and when he curiously walked to it he saw a type of scribbling in one of the pillars that he had never seen before, but he could read it as the writing rearranged itself for him to read.

" _He who hath the mine resourcefulness, clev'rness, det'rmination shall learneth of mine secrets…"_ As he read it in a hiss of Parsletongue he could say that something was up, because there must have been a reason for it to appear all of a sudden. And when he read it out loud completely, he heard a deep rumbling reverberating from the chamber once he finished. As he walked to the left side of the chamber he saw two huge pillars from the far end row slowly lifted and ascended up into the roof. And a stairs appeared that led further underground as he carefully walked inside it was dark so he used 'fire making charm' and set fire on the torch on the nearby wall.

The underground room was clearly under some form of 'extension charm', because there was a small library and some dark artifacts, but the room was rather different in ways of a regular extension charm. But one thing caught his eye and he would never be wrong about this one, because he had enough experience that he will identify it anywhere, as there was a maroon colored velvet cloth pillow with seven Basilisk eggs at the center of it.

" _This was Salazar Slytherin's library and storage; he used the chamber's reputation as a smokescreen to hide his work. Absolutely brilliant…"_ He mused to himself. He spent the next few hours going through most of the things in the books and parchments inside the library, completely forgetting about his problems.

Most of the man's work was purely dark and it clearly showed that the man was definitely power hungry, as he found Legilimency techniques in the Library that could put a wizard in comatose state for the rest of his life if used by the foe. Other techniques were all nonverbal and wandless, as many of the techniques will cause a man to feel physical pain that is caused by the mere mental influence of pain receptors in human biology. There were unfiltered and dangerous versions of dark arts that require the user to meet certain criteria for the curses to work, like stability and control over inner magic and a phenomenal control over wandless magic. Most of the books in the Library were translated into Parsletongue versions that can only be read by the Heir or anyone with Parsletongue and the knowledge to read ancient medieval English.

He had experience reading much older languages, when he traveled to Greece in search of Chimaeras and Griffins, even if he was never able to find any Griffins, he still ended up spending a lot of time reading ancient texts regarding their nesting instincts and its basic settlement requirements. So he was fairly good in reading and understanding medieval English, but he was in no ways a master, but as one of the very few who could read and understand many ancient languages in the magical world, his knowledge for such adverse arts was considered important by others. He even found an invisibility cloak, but this one wasn't a cloak per se it was in the form of a robe with a long cape and it was shiny dark black in one side and glassy one the other side. And unlike his cloak, this invisibility robe worked when the user channeled magic into it so it was rather handy, but he was rather hesitant to use it so he decided that he should give it to Sirius, which would help the man when he is on the run. And there were various other dark objects that he didn't bother inspecting as he found many protective enchantments around it and he decided to let it rest for now and handle it later.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quickly as they were both preoccupied with the end of semester exams and with Hermione deliberately avoiding him and he himself studying alone in the chamber of secrets. Hermione didn't talk with Ron after she arrived to this present timeline after what happened or what was yet to happen between them, so she spent most of her time with her dorm-mates, while Ginny found the rift between Harry and Hermione as an opportunity to earn Harry's friendship. He easily avoided Ginny or rather repelled her away with some aptitude based talks and embarrassed her openly in front of others which caused her to leave him alone.

The exams ended and he was preparing for the Quidditch finals against the Ravenclaws and Hermione was still avoiding him and he was seriously hurt, he wanted to beat himself when he thought that breaking his friendship off with Hermione would be easy, but it was burning him from inside out. Meanwhile Hermione was unable to insert herself into the society of the current age, she thought this would be easy, but she was wrong. She was making a lot of bad decisions recently, she couldn't get back into the world and finally she was in unbearable pain due to the loss of her best friend, and the knowledge of how her impatience and instability was what caused her to lose Harry, didn't help her one bit.

She couldn't build enough courage to go and apologize to Harry and regain his friendship and every time she saw Ron it hurt to see that the boy who turned out to be her husband was enjoying life while she was heartbroken and suffering as usual. It was only after their altercation and the fall out that she realized she was as free as she can be in her friendship with Harry, while Harry was just making sure that everything was working out properly, while trying to keep her safe at the same time. She knew that she would have to act fast, because by the end of the week she would be going home where her parents would be expecting Harry to join them while it is obvious that Harry didn't want to do anything with her from the way he was avoiding her all week.

Their Quidditch match against Ravenclaw was a victory and it was an easy victory as their team's offence and defense was top notch and he had some frustrations to vent, so he channeled it into the game and the end result was that him catching the snitch within the first five minutes of the game. Before any of the players from both the team could even think about some strategy to score points he ended the game and it was greeted with booing due to the uneventful match.

* * *

He wanted to keep his mind off of depressing things, so he concentrated on his plans and effectively redirecting his sadness and anger into his task. He did this very often in the future and that was one of the reasons why he was successful in his career being an 'Investigative Auror' and writer. And his next task was to free 'Dobby the elf' and it was his top priority at the current moment.

He waited until Lucius came to Hogwarts, which he was sure that the elder Malfoy would do because his monitoring sources said that Lucius was too curious about the stopped attacks in school. And Lucius Malfoy's request on suspending Dumbledore and arresting Hagrid after the first three attacks was rejected by his fellow directors, so he was sure that Lucius would visit Hogwarts before the end of the term. And to make sure that Dobby was there with Lucius, he sent the elf a letter via Hedwig requesting the elf to come with Lucius when they visit Hogwarts and also to notify him on their way, so that he can make the necessary preparations. And he was careful with his request because he didn't need the elf to break the contract parameters with his owner. And just like he predicted a disgruntled Malfoy came out of Dumbledore's office and was walking through the bridge, where he placed a powerful 'confundus charm' a few feets away from where he levitated a hanky which was under 'disillusionment charm'. When the hanky hit Senior Malfoy's face the confounded man simply handed the hanky to Dobby instinctively who was walking a little behind Malfoy. That set the elf free from the abusive owner's clutches, Malfoy tried to attack the free elf and it didn't work out quite well as he was levitated and shaken a little and thrown away. And he made his appearance and congratulated Dobby for becoming a free elf and the emotional elf understood that he had a hand in the release and hugged his leg not letting him go. He suggested Dobby to get a job in the castle among the other elves and that Dobby should talk to Dumbledore about what happened and how everything worked out just fine.

The year was almost over and they will be leaving home the very next day. As they were about to leave the next morning, he was making some last minute preparations in the room of requirements as he sealed the 'Chamber' the day before. As he was arranging everything in order and was putting up some security charms in case Dumbledore decides to snoop and he was packing all of his notes as a precaution. The room's door opened and Hermione walked in through the door and he gave her a nod in turn and kept packing without bothering to ask her what she was doing there.

"Harry, can we talk?" Hermione asked and he didn't reply, but he stopped for a brief second and then he continued on with his packing. Hermione had enough she was going to make up for her mistake now and get it over with, as she wanted to have some peace and not live in misery every hour of a day thinking about her mistake. She truly cared for him and losing him permanently due to her impatience was not an option. She walked beside him and looked at him carefully expecting some kind of response from him, but when she didn't get any she pulled him away by catching his hand and when he turned he gave her an annoyed look.

She wasn't going to stand by and watch him ignore her, so she decided to get his attention by embracing him in a tight hug. He stood there stiffly while she held him tighter and rested her head in his chest and when she noticed that he didn't even hug her back she pulled back from the embrace as she thought that Harry just didn't care, so she said.

"I am sorry for everything, Harry. I just wish you would give me another chance…" Hermione said while keeping her head down and turned to walk away, while thinking that he just needed time and space to process everything that had transpired. He was still in surprised that Hermione hugged him and was trying to make up and he wasn't going to lose this chance because of his stupid pride. As just as she was moving away from him, he caught hold of her hand and he slowly pulled her into his arms and wrapped her with his entire strength and lifted her a few centimeters from the ground.

"I am sorry too, Hermione." He said with his voice breaking, not realizing that he just confirmed her suspicions of him loving her more than just a friend, as she was hearing his heartbeat while leaning into his chest. He let her down and gave her a smile which crushed her heart that she missed this boy/man in her entire life, but she kept her face as unsuspecting as much as she could and walked out of the room and ran straight to the lavatory. The previous gesture may have confused a teenage girl, but as a thirty one year old woman she can pick up things like this easily and besides she had her fair share of experience to understand it and she could sense the emotions that Harry was giving out. But what surprised her most was the fact, that he never ever expected them to get together on such basis.

How could she have missed this the last time around, while it was so clear that he cared for her as just more than friends? It was mind boggling of how she could have missed it. She calmed herself by taking deep breaths and decided that she had done enough damage and any further damage was unacceptable, so she will have to regain her bearings and think this through. But she was in no condition to be in a relationship with anyone this soon after what happened with her marriage with Ronald Weasley and all of this was just too soon for her. She needed time to understand what Harry felt for her and she needed to know when he developed these strong feelings for her and how she missed it in the first place. Because she was sure that she has never felt this during war time and she didn't even sense this even during the months they both spent alone in the wilderness. And she needed to sort out her feelings and get back in the world and stabilize before she can even think about investigating into this, so she decided to let it rest for now for her peace of mind.

* * *

 _ **Hogsmeade-**_

The very next morning they boarded the carriages and made their way to Hogsmeade. And from there they got into the train and settled in a compartment with Luna and Neville and they talked about various things all the way to London. During which he used his Legilimency on her with her permission and spoke with her mentally and he used this as a means of contact and subtly filled in all the finer details of what happened and what didn't happen for the last two years every time the conversation between the four friends turned into a different direction. If he had given into his temptation and looked deep into her mind he would found everything that she thought about him and their friendship would have taken a huge hit, but fortunately he didn't as he respected her privacy and decided not to invade it.

And finally they reached London and got on the platform and they walked through the barrier of platform nine and three quarters reaching into the normal world after another year of skirmishes.

* * *

 _ **Guys this a rather long chapter and I am sincerely sorry if you guys expected both Harry and Hermione getting together after she arrived, but I am a person who think that two people simply don't fall in love that easily. From experience I can say that love can only last after a few fights and both resolving the problem when they find each other acceptable or compatible to live with. And it is a useless motion to think that a boyfriend and girlfriend simply always have romance and they will need to have few disagreements. And that's where JKR made a mistake pairing Hermione with Ron, because two people simply can't and won't get together after six years of constant disagreements and fights. Thank you for reading and reviewing and supporting me this long. And please don't hate me if you find it to be over the top exaggerating as it mildly required.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Train Station (London)-**_

Harry and Hermione were both walking to the entrance, and he had a few things to tell her before they go their separate ways, but little did Harry know that Hermione was actually looking forward to spending some time with Harry and her parents in her home.

"Hermione, I have a few things to say before I go…" He began seriously.

"Go where?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'm going home of course. So I was thinking…, we do need a meeting point during the holidays don't we, and fortunately I have a safe place, it is my old hideout. Use the public floo to get to 'Maidenhead' and this is the address to the entrance of my hideout, get to the basement of the building in the address and there is a secret passageway behind the fire extinguishing equipment and use it to get in…" He finished in a low voice making sure that no one was listening and handed her a piece of paper which had the address to his base. While Hermione understood that Harry really meant of going to the Dursleys for the summer.

"Harry, are you not going to come with me to my house for the holidays?" She staggered a little as she asked him questioningly.

"Hermione, I thought you would need space. Well…I will come there for the next break, don't worry about me." He replied casually hiding his surprise that she still wanted him to come to her house.

"Harry, you promised me before Christmas that you would come to spend the holidays with me and my parents." Hermione said a little annoyed that he was just going to break his promise.

"I made that promise before _you_ came back and trust me when I say this, you will need some time alone, because I'm assuming that you will become rather emotional when you see your parents again and you certainly don't want me around for that, trust me." He replied casually.

"And more importantly you can use your magic, because I assume when you ' _came back_ ' your 'trace' would have been broken, but don't get over your head and try out the advanced spells and before you do magic just make sure that the trace is broken. Use the public floo until you are sure that you won't get splinched during apparition and finally, train during the time you are free, because you will need to protect yourself. We won't be going to any hunting and gathering for now, but during the next Christmas and summer break we will be, because I have a few plans that require our attention." He said carefully.

"We will discuss when we meet in my hideout in a week, show up only if you are free…" He said and with that he smiled and walked away to meet his unhappy uncle who was waiting for him.

* * *

Hermione meanwhile was in a dilemma, because she half expected that Harry would be coming with her and she will able to keep her attention on him and escape outright confrontation with her parents. But now she was going to meet her parents alone and Harry was right, there was a high chance that she will become emotional as she was unsure of herself. She slowly walked and she saw both her parents waiting for her near the car parking while she also noticed that her father was looking unhappy about something while her mother looked equally troubled.

Dan and Emma Granger were upset, because a little while ago they saw Harry getting into the car with his uncle. And when they tried to talk to Harry, Mr. Dursley the plump man raged upon them all the while glaring at Harry and once the man finished with them he started scolding the young boy. When Mr. Granger tried to talk to Harry ignoring the yelling man, Harry didn't respond, but just gave an apologetic look which was enough for Dan to fill in the blanks. Both elder Grangers immediately assumed that Vernon wouldn't allow Harry to spend any time anywhere but his own house, where everything would be kept under wraps. But the mood immediately lightened when they saw their daughter walking towards them looking curious.

"Hermione…" Emma said happily and hugged her daughter tightly while Hermione was quickly losing her composure, but before she could explode her mother released the hug and gave a kiss and the smiled. Her father did the same with her and she was barely holding herself from breaking down in front of her parents and she mentally thanked her friend for the heads up, because if she hadn't known then she would have definitely broken down and that would have caused her parents to ask her some uncomfortable questions.

"Harry won't be joining us Daddy." She said in an attempt to divert the attention she got and she was ready to give a reason, but was cut off by her mother.

"We know dear, we just saw him and I'm assuming that his uncle didn't permit him to stay with us?" Emma asked and Hermione nodded vigorously, because the issue just became very easy for her to handle.

"Well shall we move?" Dan asked breaking the silence, as he loaded all the trunks into the back of the car.

Their trip to their house was pleasant as her mother asked the regular questions that she usually asked on her arrival. For the first time she was glad that she came back in time, as she really missed this closeness that she had with her parents and she was looking forward to spend time with them during this break.

* * *

 _ **Three weeks Later-**_

Harry was currently working on dark curses; he was trying to cast them non-verbally and with minimum wand movements, but also to ensure maximum damage at the same time. It was easy to convince his uncle and aunt about him working until late night, as his mild 'confundus charm' and calming potion was enough to acquire the expected result.

He was also working on his wandless magic by practicing telekinesis and also on his balance of his inner magic. Salazar Slytherin's Library books and work were gold, except that it was extremely dark in nature and Slytherin had an obvious interest in curse breaking, because of the collection of the books the man possessed. And that's where he found the reference to the 'Fidelius charm' and the books had so many details about many different charms, but the Fidelius was explained in detail, it seemed like the man was trying to find a way to breach the Fidelius protection.

He was also brewing some potions that would help them during their missions. He spent a lot of time brewing the potions, as he was making sure that they were of the highest quality. He bought a belt pouch which can be strapped onto his 'Basilisk skin belt' while the pouch itself was under 'extension charm' and it was for the sole purpose of storing potions. And he spent the last few weeks storing as many potions as possible.

Harry reenlisted into the fencing academy, so that he can work his way up to master the art. Currently he was a mere beginner, but he was confident that by the end of two months that he will raise in his status, because he spent four hours every morning with very less breaks. His fencing instructor was impressed by his dedication, as the man remembered him from the last summer break. And when his instructor asked him why he was so willing to spend a lot of time here in the fencing academy than at his home with his parents during the holidays, he honestly explained about his house life and he instantly had another sympathizer. And fortunately for him the man allowed him to practice long hours until he was not too exhausted. As such his skill in the art was skyrocketing because of his long hours of practice and it also helped him greatly in standard duelling stances and techniques, even if he didn't care about it that much.

He wasn't surprised that Hermione didn't come for training, because he really didn't expect her that much, because he remembered that she would be going to France to spend the break with her parents. Just as he was thinking about her Hedwig flew in through the alternate opening of the hideout and she was holding a letter.

"Hey girl, is this letter from Hermione?" He asked and the snowy white owl pressed her head on his finger and rubbed in agreement confirming his guess. He took the letter from her leg and gave her some snacks and his 'familiar' nipped his finger and gave a hoot in excitement and started eating happily.

Meanwhile he smiled and opened the letter and started reading.

* * *

 _To Harry,_

 _I am sorry that I couldn't meet up with you like you wanted me to, but my father suggested going to France this summer just like last time and I agreed almost immediately. You were right Harry, I became very emotional when I saw my parents and I am glad that you weren't around to see me crying and moping like a child. And thank you for the heads up about it and also thank you for explaining to my parents why you were not coming, because it would have been awkward to explain to them after all the failed attempts to meet during the holidays._

 _France is great Harry and unlike last time I wasn't uncomfortable, because my French was good enough for handling myself in public. This time I also saw the magical side of the French community and I am surprised how far ahead they are in advancement like the muggle world. And unlike us they don't have bigotry or pureblood laws to restrict them for everything and muggleborn witches and wizards are equally treated. And I even saw a full Veela here and I am surprised that people use wands with 'Veela hair core' very commonly here._

 _I can only assume how much you must hate it there in you uncle's house, but my father made it very clear that you will be joining us for the next Christmas and summer break and that he doesn't care about what your uncle may think. We will be returning back to London in another week and then we can have our meeting like you wanted to. Harry, don't try to confront Sirius on your own, when he breaks out of Azkaban, we will plan and then meet Sirius and explain together._

 _Take care, Harry._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Hermione_

* * *

After reading the letter he immediately wrote his reply and he gave it Hedwig to take it to Hermione. In the letter Harry noticed a few things that Hermione let slip; it was the way Hermione kept saying 'like he wanted to' in a few instances and that bothered him, because it merely meant that she didn't want to do anything and it was like he was forcing her to do things.

Currently his and Hermione's friendship was shaky at best; he was acting as patiently and as maturely as he can. And it hurt him to think that maybe Hermione didn't really want to help him other than for the moral obligation that he helped in bringing her to the past, back enough for her to escape from her marriage. He would need to talk to her and make sure if she really wanted to help him or not and if not then he will have to break it off completely and let her be, because he didn't want to hurt himself by building up fantasies of her being by his side all the way. Normally Harry wouldn't think like this, but her last reaction towards him led him to agree with his analogy, because now he was half sure that Hermione honestly forgot what he was like and what his priorities were. For once he had to be selfish here and think about what her actions towards him may cause, because the fate of so many innocent lives was in his hand and that is the one thing that he will never abandon disregarding whatever may happen.

With that he stopped his train of doubtful thoughts and continued with his training in dark curses. "Confringo!" He yelled and sent a blazing mortar, while the rock which his 'blasting curse' came in contact with was destroyed into infinitesimal pieces.

* * *

 _ **Holiday Resort (France)-**_

Hermione was in deep thought too, it took her almost two weeks for her to finally come to agree with the fact that she was no longer a married mother, but a teenage witch with a quickly developing physique and hormonal needs. Going through puberty once was bad enough, but now she has to go through it again, but on the bright side she was much more experienced than before and it will be interesting to watch everyone. But one thought kept looming over her head and she couldn't help, but think about Harry Potter. She was having mixed emotions, Harry the boy she gave up doting for on in favour of her past husband was in love with her for quite a while and she didn't notice it. Her best friend was in love with her and genuinely cared for her and she just gave up on him and forgot about him in the long run and what hurt her most was that she suspected this before but eventually she laid all her suspicions to rest, when she got married. Today she noticed that when she was writing her letter to Harry she couldn't complete it with 'Love Hermione', because honestly she was scared and that brought out all the feelings she suppressed, due to the years of abuse.

She needed to know how strongly Harry felt for her and since when he felt like that and the only way to find that is if Harry says that by himself. And she was sure that Harry wouldn't tell her how he feels until everything is handled, which means after having dealt with Voldemort and everything, which also means that she would have to wait for another five years and honestly she didn't have the patience to wait that long. At the same time the suspense was killing her, because she desperately wanted to know or feel the feelings he feels for her. She knew she was overthinking this, because she assumed that Harry wouldn't make a mistake by making her wait too long, so she was half sure that he will tell her eventually. But still it was too painful for her to wait that long, because it would keep reminding her of her failure to recognize what it was when she could have made a difference.

So she had a plan and for this she will have to pull a page from Harry's book and break all of her ethics and invade a person's mind and steal that piece of sensitive information. She came to this conclusion pretty easily because this is the only way that she will be able to understand his feelings for her. Hermione knew Legilimency and Occulumency fairly well, because it was necessary for her to learn it if she was to live with Ron, Ron was an Auror and he picked up the art of detecting lies and deceit through experience like most war veteran Aurors. She learned Occulumency to protect herself from Ron's doubts and to keep hiding her 'work' from him and Legilimency came in handy when she needed to glean through Ron's thoughts. She usually did this to check if he was doubtful of her activities and that's why she was able to stay under the radar for that long. Her skill on the arts weren't very impressive, but it was just enough to penetrate a person's mind during sleep, she usually practiced it on Ron while he is asleep. She learns of his thoughts and then confirms it by correlating with the actions he does the next day or days. And that's where the problem arises, Ron wasn't an Occulumens so invading his mind while asleep wasn't really a very difficult of a task, but Harry on the other hand was a skilled Occulumens who is strong enough to deceive Dumbledore himself.

For the past three weeks she went through all her memories which she had for the last two years and reviewed them in detail and with utmost patience. And she noticed a few things of how Harry acts when a situation is tense and when under pressure and how he plans for the problems and counterplans for contingency. To be honest she was rather surprised of how silently Harry handled Quirrell and the Basilisk, because no one and absolutely no one even mildly suspected that he had any connection to the entire issue and he came out of it both literally unscathed. As a result she came to the conclusion that this time Harry was a cunning and deceptive wizard with extraordinary skills who has the ability to give both Dumbledore and Voldemort a run for their money when he comes of age.

She instantly decided that she needed another plan to invade Harry's mind, because he was a master in the art of Occulumency and it wouldn't be enough to invade his mind as he was ahead of her by miles. She also decided that once they go back to Britain she would need to start training in her duelling, because Harry's attempts to help her previous self in duelling haven't made any great headway, so it was up to her to begin training.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later-**_

Harry walked in tiredly through the entrance of his hideout after his four hour long fencing class in Brighton. He was a little worried, because Sirius Black his godfather has escaped Azkaban and Aunt Marge will be coming to visit his uncle tomorrow and he was deciding whether or not he should blow her up. He had a plan to write a letter to Hermione explaining everything and getting permission to stay with her at her home for the rest of the month if he ends up blowing up his aunt, but then he decided against it as he remembered that he needed to go to the Leaky Cauldron to reassure the 'Minister of Magic' Cornelius Fudge that he is all right. Fortunately he had already gotten his uncle to sign the permission letter to visit Hogsmeade as a precaution and he had also bought most of his school supplies, because he seriously wasn't interested in spending his time buying those with the Weasleys. But there were still a few things he needed to buy, but he wished for Hermione's company during them, because it would be easy to explain those things to her after giving her an idea of what he was going to tell her.

He was broken out of his musing when he saw a bushy brown haired girl sitting on his study table reading a book from his precious collection of books.

" _What's Hermione doing here? Okay, I invited her…, but what is she doing here now? When did she come back from France?"_ He silently mused to himself. He was broken out of his trance and he steadied himself and walked to her.

"Hermione…?" He called out to her casually. And the girl he called turned drawing her wand only to see him and she immediately pocketed her wand.

"Hi, Harry…"

"When did you come back?" He asked her as he set own all of his fencing equipments and he sat down on the chair undoing his shoe laces and removing his shoes.

"Yesterday, Harry... How was your summer been so far?" She asked instinctively and she immediately wanted to curse herself for asking that. There was an obviously awkward silence between them, but when finally Harry removed his footwear he said.

"Hermione, let's skip all this and get to the matter…, before we go into certain things, I want to know this, are you absolutely sure that you want to help and be involved with me in my cause for the upcoming years and eventually for the war? As you know things will get rocky and tough along the way and I don't want you to have second thoughts about this, so take your time and make your decisions carefully and give me an answer." He said bluntly as he did not want to spin the conversation.

"Harry, I will answer your question if you answer mine." She said uncertainly as if she was in doubt of if she should ask him, but he nodded affirmatively to Hermione's query.

"Harry, do you 'need my help' or 'want my help'?" Hermione asked a question he didn't quite anticipate.

There was a long silence between them both; Hermione was getting fidgety while Harry was in deep thought. _"Do I need her or want her…?"_ The question itself awfully tricky, it may seem easy to answer but in fact the answer to the question is indeed difficult. He knew that it would end up coming out wrong if he didn't answer it carefully. He definitely wanted her help if the upcoming threats progresses into a war and he certainly needed her beside him when things get rough. But there was also a doubt that loomed over his mind, would she be a loyal friend or a friend with benefits of sorts, but he decided to ignore his doubt and answered her honestly without an ounce of hesitation.

"Hermione, I need you beside me throughout all the ups and downs that we may face through the years to come, but I want your help undoubtedly, because you have proved yourself as the brightest witch of our age again and again continuously. We being here right now trying to change the future while making history is due to your brilliance, it's because of you we have a second chance to make things right and probably save thousands of lives in the process. Hermione, I need your help and I want your help to face the future that we are going to build." He said with full conviction in his tone and he technically confessed to her, but he was unaware of his action due to not having any type of relationship with the opposite sex apart from business for roughly nine years.

If Hermione didn't have such self-control she would have been reduced to tears with his little speech. Still Hermione got emotional after hearing what he just said, but she held herself firmly and nodded impassively. She didn't know what to feel for Harry, but she was sure that her feelings for him which she suppressed a long time ago were building up again.

"Harry, I will help you and will be beside you no matter what and if I get any kind second thoughts then don't hesitate to hex me and set me straight." Hermione replied confidently.

"Wow, that didn't sound like you Miss. Granger…" He replied sarcastically with a chuckle.

"Well Mr. Potter, I think your influence has rubbed on to me a little." She countered back with the same sarcastic chuckle and both of them burst out laughing and the mood lightened considerably and they finally felt like two friends who are just happy to be around each other.

"Hermione we need to talk about..., Ron." Harry said carefully and that effectively killed the mood, because Hermione's expressions darkened.

"You can't just go and kill him the next time you get angry at him. We can't blame or condemn anyone, because of their future selves' misgivings and wrongs, which is why I ignore Ron and Ginny and why I don't want professor Dumbledore involved much in my life either." He said softly.

"Harry, you have no idea what I went through with him. All of those abuse he put me through the years, it's unforgivable and if Ron gets cursed or hexed then he deserves it." Hermione said angrily, but calmly. And he placed a hand on her left shoulder and massaged it soothingly trying to calm her down and said softly.

"That may be, but you have to promise me that you will not attack anyone for whatever they may have done in the future. When the time comes we will handle them and even then we'll only take action if they are going on a dangerous path, but until then we will have to wait patiently and act accordingly." He said in the same soft soothing voice and Hermione hesitantly nodded in agreement.

After a short silence he asked again. "Now you are the expert, tell me what happened during the 'time warp charm'. Why did we arrive at two separate time periods, instead of one, like planned?" He asked in a business-like manner.

"Well Harry I thought about it and I am not sure what the real problem is…" Hermione replied disappointedly. She spent a lot of time on this topic, but without the data which her ritualistic circle would have collected in the future she was not sure if she could find out the reason.

"Do you have any theory or a guesses about what may have happened?" He asked her curiously.

"Well my best guess is that… Okay, get comfortable this may take a while." Harry moved from the chair and sat on the couch and Hermione sat on the couch beside him and turned to look at him and once they got comfortable enough she began.

"Okay, Harry… Initially when I began to build a 'temporal displacement beacon' I designed it so that it would send our memories and consciousness back in time, but then the first problem was that our Magic wasn't strong enough to create a disruption in the time stream. So I redesigned it so that the charm could create the disruption with enough 'amount' of magic being inserted into the time space. But keep in mind that my magical core wasn't enough to get me back to the time I wanted to go, so that is why I needed your help, and then I tried retrofitting the charm so that it could send two people's memories back. And this is where the tricky part comes; at first the charm will only send a single stream of memory packet, but then it will split in two and it will go to two different people. The charm expected our magic to be equal in ratio to project our life force into time space but it wasn't so, because your core was very strong compared to mine, I tried to balance off the fluctuations in our magical projection signals when we cast the charm, but not with great success. So as a result your memory packet was sent a longer distance due to the strength of your magical signal while mine was projected to a slightly shorter distance." Hermione finished a little out of breath.

Looking at the slightly bemused look on Harry's face Hermione got a little annoyed and said, "Harry, I can't explain this any more easily than this…" She said out loud.

"You don't need to, I understood it perfectly." He replied casually.

"Really you did?" Hermione asked more than a little surprised.

"It's like a big powerful river splitting into two tributaries where one of them is bigger and forceful than the other. The initial momentum of the river before they split will push both the tributaries to a considerable distance, but once the momentum is lost after travelling a certain distance. The smaller one would take the easiest route to get back to the mainstream while the bigger and the much forceful one would travel a longer distance to join back in. Here, my magic is the bigger one of the tributaries, while yours' is the smaller, so my magical signal travelled a longer distance than yours; hence I arrived much earlier in time than you. Well that explains a lot…" He replied while still thinking. He didn't notice the dazed look on Hermione's face, as he explained it in much easier terms than her.

"Hermione, may I ask you a question?" He asked seriously and she nodded.

"Where did you get the necessary information to begin the 'time displacement beacon' in the first place?" He asked curiously, because any detailed mentioning of 'time-turners' and 'hour reversal charm' were removed from every book over a hundred years ago.

"Harry, I won't lie to you. I had the necessary details to begin my project in a few _'Unspeakable'_ files, which I got from the ministry when I worked there." Hermione replied quite hurriedly and in a hinting tone which sounded awfully suspicious.

"Wait a minute; nobody is supposed to have the files from the 'Department of Mysteries', even the Unspeakables can't take them home, you weren't an Unspeakable, you were Shacklebolt's assistant, so how exactly did you get those?" He asked in a very interested tone and most curiously and he wasn't surprised to see Hermione's guilty look.

"Harry.., I will level with you one hundred per cent, I didn't steal them. After the war, the funding for the 'Department of Mysteries' was cut short considerably, because of an internal investigation that was happening due to the embezzlement of the said funds done by Death eaters previously. A few members I trusted came to me asking for help, with the assigning of funds. And I helped them by assuring Kingsley and giving them the funds they asked for, but I also promised Kingsley that I would keep track of their progress via ministry files and to make sure that they weren't misusing it. And when I did quit my job, I forgot to return them and Kingsley didn't ask them back either." Hermione reasoned to his accusing tone.

"You forgot…?" He asked questioningly, while slightly narrowing his eyes and giving her a sarcastic look.

"Well when I quitted my job in the ministry, I did not exactly hand Kingsley my resignation. Ron told me that it was only for a temporary period, remember? I just told Kingsley that I was taking a break and that I would come back soon, so I did not think of the need to return them when I was so sure of going back." Hermione explained and he nodded after a few brief seconds of analysing look.

They were both sitting in a comfortable silence and Harry was going through everything Hermione has told him. All of a sudden he took his wand and pointed it at Hermione's face and said, "Reducio." And Hermione's two front most tooth shrunk and fitted with all her other tooth and they aligned each other perfectly.

"Now that's much better…" He said with a smile. And Hermione looked confused and a little annoyed at him for using a spell on her without asking for her permission, but as the spell shrunk her teeth she let it slide for just this once.

"Well Hermione shall we get to work?" He asked her and she in turn nodded determinedly, but she was still slightly glaring at him for his previous action to while he smiled cheekily.

* * *

 _ **Ten Days Later-**_

Harry was in the kitchen cooking for his uncle and aunts and for his cousin. And just like last time Aunt Marge was making rather demeaning comments about his parents, especially about his mother. And just as she said it, he suddenly fluctuated his magic violently to alert the ministry about his accidental magic and at the same time he blew up his aunt. And before they knew it, he came down with his already packed bags and started walking out.

"YOU BRING HER BACK; YOU BRING HER BACK THIS INSTANT." Vernon yelled at him looking purple in anger and with his veins throbbing. As a result he took his wand and placed it at his uncle's neck and said in a threatening tone.

"She deserved what she got. If you try and stop me then you will end up just like her or worse." He threatened in an absolutely evil and maniac like tone and walked out of the house. He looked back at No.4 Privet drive one last time and let out a sigh, if he played his cards right then he will never have to come here again and he was very determined to make that a reality.

He walked to the corner and sat down on the sidewalk pretending to wait for the Knight bus, but he was actually waiting for his Godfather to make an appearance. And just then a black dog came through the bushes looking at him hungrily, but he smiled and stood up and said.

"Come on boy, come here. Come on boy…" He called out to the black dog like it was a pet. And the said dog disguised Animagus dog happily came running up to him wagging its tail and he petted it.

"You don't look like anybody's dog, as you don't have a collar or a name tag. But I think I will keep you…" He said out loud with a smile. Just as he said that the Knight bus arrived and he walked to the bus and Sirius followed behind him.

He took his trunk and got in the bus and said, "Leaky Cauldron." He said to 'Stan' the conductor and the tall man gave him a ticket. And when Sirius got on the bus the conductor went kick him out, but he said, "He's mine." Hearing this Stan stopped and nodded in understanding.

And through all the odd ways the bus worked and then they finally reached Leaky Cauldron within ten minutes. Once he and a disguised Sirius reached the inn they were greeted by Tom and then they went upstairs to meet Fudge. And he proceeded into the room where Fudge was waiting while Tom and Sirius waited outside.

"Hello Harry, my name is Cornelius Fudge and I am the Minister of Magic…" Fudge introduced himself.

"Harry, you will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate issue of you blowing up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the 'Accidental Magic Reversal Squad' were dispatched to privet drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all." Fudge spoke to him as he sat in the minister's room.

"So that's that and no harm done. But running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that is very irresponsible of you, Harry." Minister said and for appearances sake he asked back.

"But sir, I broke the law and I will be expelled, so that's harm done." He spoke in soft tone acting as if he was sad.

"We don't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts, Harry." Minister said while chuckling lightly.

"Now would you like to have some soup?" Fudge asked as he opened the food Tom brought minutes ago.

"No sir, thank you for understanding my situation." He said politely trying to earn the man's trust and it worked beautifully and Fudge nodded affirmatively.

"Off you go…" Fudge said and he slowly walked out of the room and Sirius followed him to his room. With that Tom led him to the room he got last time and then he set his trunk up and let Sirius in with him.

"Can you get something for me to eat Tom and bring some roasted meat for 'snuffles' here?" He said and Tom nodded and went down to bring something to eat.

Fifteen minutes later he had some lavish dinner and Sirius got some fried meat and by the way his godfather ate he could tell that his godfather was famished. That night they slept rather well and he knew that Hermione and the Weasleys will be coming to Leaky Cauldron in a few days and his plans to get Sirius his freedom would be underway.

* * *

 _ **Leaky Cauldron-**_

He used the time in the inn to visit Diagon Alley several times with Sirius and he also visited 'Flourish and Blotts' to buy several D.A.D.A books and several books on various topics. Since he had the time to select the books carefully he was able to get many books that were quite useful. During this time he went to the 'Trunk Shop' and he got his trunk retrofitted with several extension charms and many useful features. He tried to buy a Pensieve, but couldn't find one as it was a very rare item that they don't usually sell in regular shops. But still he didn't give up on his morning schedule to go to the fencing classes in Brighton and he kept up with his physical training.

And exactly one week before the school begins the entire Weasley family came and so did Hermione and her parents with her newly bought Crookshanks. During the time he and Hermione spent alone in his hideout, they finally became comfortable with each other like how they used to be before the war during the times of peace when Sirius and Dumbledore were alive.

He walked down the stairs into the dining of the inn while Sirius was in his room, so they will be able to capture Scabbers without any trouble. He and Hermione planned everything and it was all going according to plan. He saw the Weasley family sitting and chatting in the dining hall of the inn while Molly was trying to make Hermione talk to Ron and just as Molly saw him coming down the stairs Ginny's face brightened up like a bulb. The twins had a mischievous grin on their faces while Ron's mood darkened just as he saw him.

"Hey Harry…" Hermione called out to him and walked to him and the Grangers beamed at him. While he noticed Molly Weasley's brief frown while everyone missed it and he also noticed Ginny's smile reducing to a considerable level.

"Hi Hermione!" He said and gave a brief hug and walked to the elder Grangers and sat beside them.

"Hello Harry…" Mr. Granger said and he greeted them back with a nod.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger!"

"Hello, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley…" He greeted them and Arthur greeted back and resumed his talk with Dan Granger about soccer.

He stood up and went to speak with Tom; he walked to the counter and said, "Tom, get a big breakfast to my room and don't let Snuffles out and when you place the breakfast plate keep this envelope on the plate too." He gave the envelope to Tom and Tom respected a man's privacy and didn't open it or read it.

Before Ginny could come and talk to him he stood up and went to his room and Hermione followed suit. Twenty minutes later both the teens were trying to get some air, while Hermione had a satisfied smile on her face.

And just as they were private he caught hold of Hermione's hand and dragged her to a secluded corner and he whispered, "Did it work without a suspicion? And it's a good thing that you brought Crookshanks…" He said to her.

"Yes, Scabbers is in the protective circle and Pettigrew will not escape and I don't think anyone suspects anything…" She replied with a satisfied smile.

"Soon Sirius will get the letter and he will wait while when we come back from the shopping trip with your parents, everything will begin. Nobody will have any suspicion on you and that's what we need and thank you for convincing your parents to take me on a shopping trip." He said the last part a little hesitantly while Hermione smiled.

"Within a few hours Sirius will have his freedom and you will finally have a home. And it wasn't much trouble, because honestly my mother squealed like a fan-girl when I told her of your request on requiring help on picking up clothes." She said with a devilish grin on her face which honestly scared him.

"And Harry are you sure that we will make it back within a couple of hours, because if the Weasleys leave then our plan is foiled, but we need to keep you off suspicion." She asked worriedly.

"They won't leave the Leaky Cauldron till evening, because I have made necessary arrangements for that, Sharptooth has agreed to stall the elder Weasleys enough for the right price. But still we will have to make it back within a couple of hours, anytime more than three hours will be disastrous." He replied sounding a little cautious. Ten minutes later Grangers had their breakfast and he headed out with Hermione and her parents to the shopping trip.

* * *

 _ **Harry's Room-**_

While in Harry's room, the black dog slowly reverted back into its human form as a tired and dirty looking man with black hair stood up in its place. Sirius couldn't stand the very delicious scent coming from the breakfast that was in the room, it was for Harry, but as his godson was busy downstairs he decided to nick something to eat from the assortment of dishes. But just as he was about to open the plate he saw a letter between the plates, getting curious Sirius took the letter and opened it.

* * *

 _Dear Padfoot,_

 _Get cleaned up and have that big breakfast that is in your room. There are some clothes in my trunk that should fit you. We will talk about everything after I come back._

 _Son of Marauder,_

 _Harry_

* * *

Sirius read the short letter again and again in shock, until it made sense to Sirius that Harry somehow knew the truth and was willing to listen to his side of story. He didn't waste any time and ate the breakfast and got ready and waited for his godson to come back.

* * *

 _ **Quite a short chapter, but I had difficulty writing them because the Prisoner of Azkaban book was really very short when it comes to plot. I am trying to keep this as close as original for a while until massive changes starts to occur, so please forgive me if I disappointed you. And Hermione and Harry will get together in roughly three to four chapters, so be patient. Thank you for supporting me this long and please bear with me and reviews and suggestions are really appreciated.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Gringott's Bank-**_

Harry, Hermione and her parents were walking into the Goblin bank, because he needed money for the shopping trip that he was about to attend with the Grangers. Dan tried to convince Harry that he would pay for the purchases, but Harry wasn't budging as he had enough money that he ever rarely spent. And also because this was his opportunity to become socially adept and adjust to the current world and he wasn't going to waste this chance. Just as they were about to talk to the chief teller, another Goblin came and greeted them and this turned out to be the goblin he knew very well, Griphook.

"Impeccable timing Mr. Potter, I was about to contact you to arrange a meeting." Griphook said in his usual business-like tone.

"Hello Griphook, sir. Can I ask why you were trying to contact me; is this about my special request?" He asked politely. Hermione was surprised by Harry's polite tone to Griphook remembering about how Griphook tried to get them all killed during the Horcrux hunt, but she decided to inquire him about it, at a later time.

"No Mr. Potter, this is not about your unusual request, but your request will be granted nonetheless for the negotiated price. Currently Sharptooth is setting up all the preparations for your special request and we do hope that it will be a pleasure to do business with you. May I ask you why you are here before we get to business?" Griphook asked eyeing the Grangers behind him and he nodded thankfully and he understood what Griphook implied.

"I was here to make a withdrawal for my trip with the Grangers and make an exchange from Galleons to muggle money." He said in the same impassive tone.

"Well in that case I would suggest for you to get a bank statement for your vaults' current _status_ ; may I?" Griphook said, but stressed the word 'status.'

"Sure, we can spare a few minutes while the exchange happens, but I have to ask what this current status of my vaults mean?" He asked back as they all began walking to Griphook's office.

While Griphook tasked another goblin with the withdrawal of the money and the bank statement, "Mr. Potter, how much do you want to withdraw and how much should be exchanged into muggle money?" Griphook asked in an objective manner.

"3000 Galleons should be withdrawn and 2000 should be exchanged…" He replied evenly and handed his vault key to the other Goblin and he immediately went away.

"Yes, Mr. Potter coming back to your previous question. Last year when you corrected all the discrepancies regarding your family vaults and took care of your assets personally, the Potter family businesses all became ready to be restarted again. But years of neglect and disregard for your assets caused all the eighteen commerce companies to be closed or out of business. And last year I looked into all the documents in detail and I was able to find the problems, eleven of your shops were in debt and the license were either expired or provoked and to cut short the loss of your funds I had to close them all down. But the remaining seven were salvageable and with my authority as the business accountant for your assets at Gringotts I was able to restart five of your shops and within five or six months they became profitable assets and the capitals were transferred to your vault. And we have taken the fee for the job from your vaults." Griphook explained and he nodded impassively while Hermione and her parents were listening closely while they entered the office and sat down. He was mildly interested of the situation, because he couldn't do this last time around, so he decided to listen carefully just for a few minutes.

"All I need is your authorization signature to restart the last two salvaged shops and to grant access to the Potter family contingency subsidiary funds until your 'commerce funds' gets to one hundred per cent functionality again. These are the documents for you to sign." Griphook said and handed him a bunch of papers taking them from the drawer.

"Shouldn't I be of age to sign these documents?" He asked while skimming through the pages.

"You do remember that you were partially emancipated when you joined Hogwarts as you are the last heir of the Potter family. The only reason you were not given the responsibility was because you refused to wear your family ring and accept the formal documentation to be submitted in the ministry." Griphook explained to him.

"Well I at least need some semblance of a childhood, before I become an adult." He murmured, but everyone in the room heard it anyway.

"Can I bring this to you tomorrow morning, because I would need to read all these thoroughly before I sign them and I am wasting Mr. and Mrs. Granger's time here too." He replied absentmindedly as he was skimming through them.

"Sure Mr. Potter, take all the time you need, but make sure that you sign them and submit it here before you return to Hogwarts." Griphook said and at that moment the other goblin came with a bag which had both the muggle money and the Galleons and handed him the bank statement.

He went through the bank statement which provided him with detailed fund transfers that was being taken from his vault for the businesses and the profit deposited in return and the interest. Then the amount of money that was transferred to settle all the debts and the amount of money that he lost over the years were all listed and he really wasn't interested in them so he skimmed through them not paying full attention. He was going to turn his page but stopped when a sharp intake of breath from Dan Granger and an almost inaudible gasp from Emma Granger stopped him.

"You get an annual profit of 30,000 Galleons from just five shops, which is around 150,000 pounds sterling?" Dan asked clearly shocked, but before he could answer Griphook said proudly at the effectiveness of the goblins' work.

"Those are Mr. Potter's monthly profit statements, not annual." Griphook corrected the elder Grangers whilst their mouths hung agape and Hermione got a headache with all this chit-chat. And he suppressed a sigh to not to look annoyed, because he didn't want to miss this shopping trip with them and he was wasting precious time.

Before Harry could conclude the meeting with Griphook, Dan saw something else in the statement and decided to voice it, "Harry, is the statement under some kind of magic or anything?"

"No Mr. Granger, why do you ask?" He asked curiously.

"Because your statement says that you have a little over one hundred and seventy million Galleons in your vaults." Dan asked with a stutter while Emma looked at him in complete shock.

"Mr. Potter, is one of our richest clienteles in this regional bank and do not be surprised, because his assets will only grow bigger in the future." Griphook replied for him.

Harry didn't want this conversation to go any further because it was getting rather uncomfortable, "I will get the signed documents to you tomorrow, sir. It was a pleasure doing business with you." He said and stood up while the Grangers followed his actions.

"Likewise…, Mr. Potter." Griphook said and gave a toothy grin that made the elder Grangers' uneasy and he walked out of the office while the Grangers followed.

Within minutes they made it out of the Bank and just as they made it out Mr. Granger let out a sigh while Mrs. Granger partially recovered from her daze and was trying her best to comfort her husband, while she too was equally shocked of what she just witnessed. With that they all went to the Leaky Cauldron and walked out to the normal world and from there they all got into the car.

* * *

 _ **In the Car-**_

It was overly silent in the car, he and Hermione were sitting in the back seat with Hermione's parents in the front and he could mildly understand their situation. Because in the Wizarding world it was normal for everyone to easily guess him to be the heir of a rich family, but here they didn't know about his family's wealth. The reason he even listened to all of his family's commerce companies was, because last time around when he got to know about their existence it was already too late. As the government was changed twice and many other commerce laws were implemented during the time of depression and transition, that made the progression of reopening the companies to be impossible and none of the shops were reopened. And the Goblins didn't help him either, because of the mayhem he created on their getaway during the Horcrux hunt after retrieving Helga Hufflepuff's cup from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. And besides his financial status wasn't very great to restart the shops after the war, due to Dumbledore's and the Order member's continuous meddling with his family's vaults for accessing funds during war period.

"Mr. Granger, I can explain what happened back there." He began softly.

"There is no need to Harry, because I am not offended or mad at you; I am just confused at the Wizarding world's behaviour." Dan Granger said and when he saw the curious and confused look on both the children's face on the rear view mirror he decided to explain, but was cut off by his wife.

"What my husband is trying to say is that, at least in the normal world there is a little transparency for the day to day activities. But in the Wizarding everything is so closed off and under wraps and that makes us concerned of our daughter's future." Emma said cutting off her husband.

"We placed our faith in your overly old headmaster and sent our daughter to a world that treats their princes like lowly stooges and now we are in a situation to rethink about our decision. Look at yourself Harry you have so much wealth and does that help you, you are still treated like a servant in your relatives' house what does that say about your system and if you are like this what will happen to our daughter. It is good to know that rich people are not treated like royalty, but from what we saw an individual person's civil liberties and rights are not very great in the wizarding world." Dan asked rhetorically and continued not letting him to defend his point. He cringed lightly at the last sentence, because it was half untrue as the rich families dictated the government, but there were rights for an individual.

"We are not saying that we regret our decision of sending our daughter to Hogwarts, but sometimes as parents we have second thoughts, we say this because from the experiences we have from the last two years we can say that the Wizarding society is still stuck in the Victorian era." Dan ended decisively.

"But I just want to say that I wasn't trying to deceive anyone, I just wanted people to be my friends for me than for my money. That's why I didn't tell you anything, I am sorry if I…" he said shyly, but before he could finish he was cut off by Emma.

"Harry, we invited you into our home, because you became our daughter's first friend and when she told everything about you and your life during last summer we genuinely wanted to help you. We did not consider your money or your fame or your heritage into account when we made that decision and we certainly won't again." Emma explained softly to the shy child.

"We are now going to 'Silver light' mall to get you a new wardrobe." Emma said in a clearly happy tone almost forgetting all their pervious conversation. Hermione squealed happily with a hungry look on her face which honestly scared him and deep down he knew that he had made a mistake.

Dan chuckled after seeing the reaction on Harry's face from the rear view mirror when his wife told their shopping destination during their daughter's happy squeal. And he prayed that the boy must be coming back in one piece but he doubted it and said, "'Silver light' it is" and drove the car faster.

* * *

 _ **Two and a half hours later-**_

Harry had several bags hanging from all parts of his body and he was absolutely exhausted. For the last two and a half hours he was the dress-up toy for the two females for their various selections. The clothes ranged from regular wear, party wear and formal wear to sportswear while varying from summer to winter selections with formal dress robes with various overcoats and scarfs of different materials for different seasons. Dan chuckled inwardly at the young boy's misfortune, because every time he laughed openly his daughter and his wife shot him a glare which shut him up instantly. At the end of the shopping trip Harry was invisible due to all the plastic bags hung over his upper body. And then he paid for all the clothes and when Mr. Granger was distracted he handed the man in the counter some extra money and told them to reduce the amount from the bill of the Granger's purchases. And the cashier nodded mutely as this family has made huge purchases and was regarded as the highest priority customers for the last hour. Once they finished with him the Grangers purchased for themselves and he was surprised by how short it took for them to select and buy and fortunately neither noticed the inconsistency in their bill as they were amused by his appearance.

Dan Granger seeing the boy's confused and bewildered expression decided to shed some light on the matter and said, "They noted all the clothes they wanted to buy when they were searching for you and once they finished they wore it once and checked it and bought it immediately. The only reason it took so long in your case was, because you were oblivious to their ploy and acted as their dress-up toy, so they used the chance to have some fun." Harry sulked at the explanation given by Mr. Granger and was seriously thinking if it was possible to understand women at all. Dan liked Harry, because the boy was humble and kind, Dan always wanted a son to spoil and advice like all fathers do and he considered Harry in that place and it was obvious to Dan that his daughter has taken a liking to this young boy and he never forbid his little princess anything.

"How do they remember all the clothes through the hundreds they saw?" He asked curiously. Dan sensed the boy's obvious dilemma and hidden question, so he decided to help the young boy save a lot of time and trouble and said.

"Son, you will have to realize something very important. We men will never be able to understand women psychology and behaviour, because they are a mystery and the best bet is to let them be a mystery." Dan said wisely and he went back to his sulking, but a question came back to his mind and he asked.

"Is there way for us to handle this problem?" He asked hopefully.

"There is and the only way is…" Dan began and he hopefully let his expectations to be raised, "…to get used to it." Dan completed and all his expectation came crashing down to the ground and he face palmed.

"Honey, we are done. Shall we move?" Emma asked and Dan complied. Harry could barely see where he was walking, so Dan smiled and gently caught him by his shoulders from behind and guided him to the car. Emma and Hermione were walking in front, but they both sensed the glares sent at them by Harry, but they smiled amusedly and walked with their heads held high.

* * *

 _ **Leaky Cauldron-**_

When they reached Leaky cauldron via Charing Cross road entrance, he asked Tom to shrink his bags. And then he placed them all in his trunk while eyeing for his godfather who was obviously hiding, because the black dog was absent in the room. After that he led Hermione downstairs as she accompanied him to his room and then they had a few good talks, while he noticed that Ron was searching for 'Scabbers', while the Weasley twins and Ginny looked restless with the elder Weasleys nowhere to be found. And by the time they were done it was already afternoon, so the Grangers said their goodbyes.

"Are you sure that you don't want to spend the rest of the holidays with us?" Emma asked him while Dan was thinking the same thing.

"Within a week and half I will be back at school, so it's okay. And besides I can't thank you enough for all the help you did for me today." He replied sincerely. Hermione and Emma each gave him a hug while Dan gave him a pat on his back and smiled at him.

"We will pick you up that morning from here and give you a ride to the train station." Dan said and he nodded happily.

"I will see you later, Harry." Hermione said waved at him as she walked with her parents and he waved back at her while he used his Legilimency and on her and said.

" _I will initiate the plan, today in an hour…"_ He spoke to her telepathically using Legilimency.

" _Good luck, Harry…"_ She mentally replied hoping that things will go alright, because if it does Harry will have a Godfather who will be free and a place to stay away from the Dursleys.

* * *

After the Grangers went, he immediately made his way to the room, because he was hoping that his godfather was still in the room, because if his godfather misinterpreted the letter and decided to flee, then his carefully laid out plan was definitely foiled. He made it to his room with the wand at the ready and just as he entered he sealed the door with a 'locking charm' and cast a 'silencing charm' on the door and on the windows and on the floor below just as a precaution. Then he carefully searched the room and found that the dress and food were gone, so he sighed and finally when he made it to the bathroom he saw a black dog sitting in the corner while looking at him intently.

"Sirius, I know it is you. Please transform back…" He asked softly acting as if he was afraid and uncertain, all the while pointing his wand at his godfather. The black dog transformed into a tall man with black matted haired and sunken face, but looked fresh as if he just came out from a shower and was also wearing the clothes he bought for his godfather.

Sirius didn't look back at him, but looked to the ground and asked him, "How did you know?"

"There is an enchanted portrait of my parents in my family vault and it was fairly up to date till their deaths, so Dad told me that the secret keeper for their home in Godric's Hollow was changed. And he strongly stated that you would not do such a thing, while he also mentioned that you convinced him and mum to make Peter Pettigrew to be their secret keeper while you were a much _obvious_ choice. He also told me about him, you and Pettigrew being 'unregistered Animagus' and about your respective forms and nicknames." He replied evenly. It was true that there is a large portrait of his parents in the vault and that his parents in the portrait only knew about the incidents and events from just a week before their deaths. Last time he only came to know about the portrait after the war and he explained everything to his parents about the events from years onwards. But he still didn't get any time to tell them anything this time around, but it was at arm's reach so he didn't worry of the inconsistency in his cover.

"Do you believe him, Harry?" Sirius asked expectantly while hoping that his godson did.

"Yes, why shouldn't I, he is my father after all." He replied still in the same unsure tone.

"Since, when do you know about this?" Sirius asked him curiously.

"When I heard that you broke out of prison, I learned that they were hiding some things from me regarding you, so I decided to ask dad about it a few days ago just after we came here to the Leaky Cauldron." He said again, but this time he lowered his wand. Sirius took this opportunity to close the distance and hugged him strongly, while he inhaled the scent of his godfather and found it similar to the shampoo and soap he previously purchased in a muggle shop during his brief stay in Leaky Cauldron.

"I am sorry, pup. If I had not gone after Peter looking for revenge then I could have proved my innocence and claimed guardianship over you and you wouldn't have had a horrible life with your relatives." Sirius told while still hugging him dearly.

"How do you know about my relatives' treatment of me? And please don't blame yourself Sirius if I had been in your shoes I would have done the same thing." He said carefully while Sirius separated from the hug and continued.

"I watched you for an entire week, pup. And I am not a fool Harry; I can see when one is unwanted in a home, having gone through that myself in my own home. You working in that coffee shop till late night are bad enough, but that fat arse of an uncle taking everything you earn is unacceptable. And I am not sad for myself; I am disappointed in myself for what happened to you which could have been prevented, if I had only thought things through a little." Sirius said looking sad. While he was glad that Sirius only followed his illusion that he placed on anyone who followed him, but still he wasn't sure if his godfather trusted him completely, as there was a chance that his Godfather may have followed the real him and found out about his suspicious activities.

"Well I did find you near my home…" He mumbled out while thinking to ask another question.

"How did you escape?" He asked his godfather and he really did not know how he did it last time around as he didn't ask Sirius about it.

"It was a regular day in prison and then the warden came for his rounds and mocked all the occupants as usual and when he came to me I noticed him carrying the newspaper and I asked him if I could read it and he lent me the paper and mocked me for it too. And that is when I saw…, this…." Sirius said and took a crumpled piece of paper which mentioned about the Weasleys' trip to Egypt and a moving image of the entire Weasley family.

"See that rat in the hand of the young boy, the rat with a bald spot and one less toe…." Sirius said and he looked carefully and acted like he was scrutinizing the picture in the paper.

"That's Peter Pettigrew, I am sure of it…!" Sirius said firmly.

"Then I waited for the warden to open the gate, so to change the cell which happens occasionally when another new occupant is accommodated in the prison, I'm usually selected because I am one of the least chaotic and most cooperating of my fellow occupants. When I had the right opportunity I pickpocketed the warden and used the key to reopen the gate of my new cell, after that I transformed into a dog and evaded the Dementors and I jumped into the sea and swam like barmy." Sirius continued and finished.

While he wasn't really listening, but he was sure that he could recount the tale and also he was more interested about the traitor, "Ron's rat Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew? But that's impossible, because the same rat lived in my dorm room for the last two years, if that was Pettigrew then he could have killed me in my sleep on numerous occasions." He replied faking his shocked expressions.

"Harry, I know that rat is an Animagi Peter, I am sure of it and you have to believe me." Sirius said sounding a little desperate.

"Sirius, I do believe you, but do you know that Ronald Bilius Weasley is downstairs with his 'Rat' right now…?" He asked and that got Sirius immediately trying to rush out of the room to go after Peter.

"You cannot just walk down there; everyone will think that you have just gone barmy. I will get the rat, but promise me that you will wait here and you will not kill that rat, and when we are hundred per cent sure that it is really Peter Pettigrew, we will interrogate him then we will use it to get you exonerated." He said carefully while asking Sirius a promise.

"I promise…" Sirius said almost disappointedly and with that he walked out of the room dispelling the security charms.

Twenty minutes later, he walked into the room with a struggling rat in his hand and the struggle only increased when the rat saw Sirius sitting on the bed. He actually just went to another room and freshened up a little and simply caught the transformed wizard carefully and walked back into his room.

"We may not have much time; Ron may suspect that something is up…" He said casually not really worried. He lent his wand to his godfather and Sirius immediately used the 'Homorphus charm' on the rat and the rat transformed into a dirty looking Peter Pettigrew.

Just as the rat transformed into Peter Pettigrew, Sirius immediately placed the traitor in a full body bind spell and conjured some ropes using 'Incarcerous spell'. When Sirius turned he found Harry writing a letter and when he peeped he noticed that the letter was addressed to Albus Dumbledore.

Sensing the obvious question in Sirius, he said, "Dumbledore might be the only person who could help us right now".

And with that he finished the letter and he got his wand back from Sirius and pointed it at the letter and muttered, "'Nulla Porta Fabrica'" And with that the letter was bewitched into a portkey keyed to them. The normal use of 'Portus' spell would send a signal to alert the ministry and they would have immediately known about it and that would have got him in trouble, but the spell he used was an old unfiltered version which would not alert anyone of anything, so the ministry would be in the dark about his activities. And he reversed the spell on the letter and sent it to Dumbledore's office and once that was done he turned to his godfather.

"Now what do we do?" Sirius questioned him curiously.

"Now we wait for Dumbledore to show up…" He said and sat on his bed while Sirius sat down with him, but just after casting a 'stunning spell', 'full body bind spell' and tightening the conjured ropes on Pettigrew.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's Office-**_

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was currently sitting in his office and looking at the papers presented before him. He was in the process of selecting the new prefects from the recommended candidates and also the Head Boy, Head Girl positions. When he finished Dumbledore started thinking and he frowned immediately as he was not happy when it came to one Harry Potter; the boy was absolutely brilliant like his mother 'Lily' and overly keen and much more dexterous in nature something he suspected to be inherited from his paternal grandmother 'Euphemia'. The boy did not trust him like he wanted and expected him to, after his rough childhood with the Dursleys, it was never his intent to harm the boy, but even when he learned of the abuse the boy was put through he didn't take any effort to stop it though. Harry was too independent and suspicious of almost everything, also with a prodigious level of skill both physically and mentally, so the only way to manipulate Harry would be to earn his trust from Harry himself without insinuating anything. And for that he will have to wait patiently and handle the situation carefully to play out like he wanted it to.

Suddenly a letter appeared on his desk out of nowhere and he was thoroughly surprised as the letter came through all the wards of the school in general and penetrating the wards around his room, so the old headmaster used his wand to check if it was trap and finding none, he carefully opened it.

* * *

 _Headmaster Dumbledore,_

 _Professor, I am in need of your help. I am currently staying at the Leaky Cauldron at room No.11 and I am with one, Sirius Black. There are some interesting things which you would like to listen. Please come as soon as possible and don't break the door just knock._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry Potter_

* * *

Dumbledore was alarmed after reading the letter, he was sure that this was not a prank, because no student would be able to send a letter to his room directly unless it must have been Black. This may be a trap, but he doubted it because Leaky Cauldron was too public to be a trap and even if it turns out to be a trap he will show them why he was called the 'Leader of the Light', so he decided to go immediately.

"Fawkes!" Dumbledore called and the Phoenix gave out a trill and then flew and sat on his arm and immediately them apparated to Diagon Alley in a spiral of flames.

Dumbledore immediately appeared in Diagon Alley and he got into Leaky Cauldron while Fawkes flew away and kept flying around the inn. Dumbledore was under disillusionment charm and climbed up the stairs heading for room No.11 without even sparing a glance at the Weasleys at the tables whom didn't notice anything out of place.

As he reached the door of room No.11 and knocked according to the instruction. Harry was not really surprised that Dumbledore reached this soon, so he calmly opened the door and snuck his head out to find no one, so he asked.

"Are you there, Professor?" He asked curiously which was almost amusing.

Dumbledore decided to drop his disillusionment and become visible to the boy who looked fine, so he said, "Yes Harry, I am here".

"Blimey, Professor you scared me. Come in quickly…" He said acting surprised and he ushered the old headmaster into his room.

Dumbledore entered only to find Sirius Black with a wand in hand, but Sirius wasn't pointing it at him instead it was on a person on the ground and after a brief inspection he recognized the man to be Peter Pettigrew. Immediately he speculated with what information at hand and came to the immediate deduction that Sirius Black was indeed innocent, but Dumbledore was a cautious man, so he did not want to jump to any conclusions, so he decided to ask everything to know about the current situation.

"I can see where this is going, so I will ask your side of the 'incident' Mr. Black." Dumbledore spoke calmly and impassively.

Sirius instantly began telling them everything, from how he convinced James Potter to change the secret keeper of the Fidelius Protection to Peter, till how he confronted Peter after the death of James and Lily and how peter framed him and escaped via the use of his Animagi transformation. Meanwhile during the banter he also blamed Dumbledore for what happened, because if the old headmaster had just given Harry to him then he wouldn't have gone after Peter, instead he would have been patient and given Harry a normal childhood. Dumbledore for his part did not have any explanation to give and he took the berating from the angry godfather without giving out any counter.

"We will need to get the truth from him directly, so be patient and wait here until I come back with a candidate as witness for this…" With that Dumbledore walked to the window and opened it and Fawkes flew inside and sat on the perch. Dumbledore instructed his phoenix/familiar to keep an eye on the tied up man and if the man tries to escape by turning into a rat then attack and capture him while Dumbledore walked out of the room.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock and he went and opened the door to find Dumbledore and Amelia Bones standing outside. He let them in and he closed the door and just as he turned he heard a gasp from Amelia Bones.

"Sirius Black you are under arrest for…" She never got to finish as she was interrupted by Harry.

"You will not take away my godfather from me." He almost yelled, but stated firmly putting a convincing act on his face. Dumbledore only saw conflict in Harry's mind, so he decided to diffuse the situation before it escalated.

"Harry, calm down…" Both Dumbledore and Sirius said in unison, he visibly acted as if calming down. While Amelia Bones was shocked of what just transpired in front of her, so decided to get the facts right before she acted further.

"Will somebody inform me of what is happening here? Why is Sirius Black here with Mr. Potter and why is he defending Mr. Black?" Amelia asked in an enraged tone.

"Things are more complicated than you think, Amelia." Dumbledore said and pointed his gaze to the left side of the room's corner only to find a man tied up and upon a closer look she recognized the man to be Peter Pettigrew.

"Goodness me, that is Peter Pettigrew and if I remember correctly he is supposed to be dead. Albus, will you please explain to me what is going on here?" Amelia asked as she sighed and held her head in pain and Dumbledore complied.

"Amelia, I think it is time for you to administer the Veritaserum to Mr. Pettigrew and I am sure that you will get your information from him." Dumbledore said and Amelia looked between Sirius and Peter for a minute and then sighed and complied.

"Veritaserum…?" He asked to everyone in general in a questioning tone.

"It is a powerful truth potion, Harry." Sirius answered while Dumbledore looked at him as if wanting to explain. Meanwhile Amelia Bones administered the Veritaserum on Wormtail and began asking questions.

"What is your name?" She began with the most basic question.

"Peter Pettigrew!" The dirty looking bald man said in a struggling manner.

"How are you still alive?" She asked clearly curious about the man's status.

"I was never dead in the first place…" Wormtail replied bluntly.

"Did you frame Mr. Black for crimes he may or may not have committed?" Dumbledore intervened and asked to the bound man.

"Yes!" Peter replied and Amelia was stunned and shocked by this, but when she looked at Harry and she immediately assumed that he knew this for a while now.

"Did you commit those crimes that you framed Mr. Black for…? If then why?" Dumbledore asked again seriously.

"Yes, I did! Sirius came after me and I knew I would have been dead if I didn't do something, so I ignited the gas line of the muggle neighbourhood with a 'blasting hex' and that caused an explosion killing all those muggles. The explosion caused the sewage line to be destroyed; I transformed into a rat and escaped among the other rats." Wormtail replied still struggling to get out of the binding.

"Why were you running away? Are you an unregistered Animagus?" Amelia regained from her shock and restarted asking questions.

"Yes, I am an unregistered Animagus. I betrayed James and Lily to the Dark Lord as I was their secret keeper to the Fidelius protection that protected their home. When they were murdered Sirius knew that I was the one who betrayed them and he came after me to kill me." Wormtail replied still struggling all the while. Just as Pettigrew finished, Harry rushed past the three people and punched the bounded man in the face breaking the man's nose while sending him down to the ground from his chair.

Sirius immediately caught hold of him and restrained him, while Amelia shook her head in sadness while Dumbledore still had Pettigrew at wand point. Dumbledore could understand Harry's reaction, because honestly if he was in Harry's place he would have done the exact same thing. Dumbledore knew that getting Sirius exonerated would effectively put Harry out of his manipulation, but he had no choice, because if he didn't do it then Harry may never trust him. And honestly he was losing hope in the plan of controlling Harry, while his mind was contemplating a new way which was to guide the boy in the right path by giving him the resources to help him fulfil his destiny. Meanwhile Harry was grinning inwardly for his acting skills, he always wanted to do that to Peter and this would solidify the point that he was teenager with mood swings, so acting like a man of age thirty for quite a while can be overlooked easily.

"Is Sirius Black in any way guilty?" Amelia asked carefully.

"No…" That was all Peter could reply as the Veritaserum was wearing off.

"Where were you hiding till now?" Amelia asked again this time more than a little enraged.

"As soon as I became a… rat… I went to the Weasley family… and they took me in as their pet. I lived there until Harry Potter….caught me this…afternoon." Wormtail said in a struggling manner. And he smirked inwardly, because he had thought ahead and used a memory charm on Pettigrew to make it look like he was only following Sirius's request.

As the potion was wearing off, Dumbledore cast a non-verbal stunner that made Peter go limp, while Fawkes eyed the man carefully just in case Wormtail makes a move.

"Does this mean Sirius is free?" He asked hopefully while putting an innocent look on his face.

"No Mr. Potter, I'm afraid not." Madam Bones said disappointed to deny the boy his godfather.

"Why not, Madam Bones?" He asked a little shocked, but with the same innocent look.

"Peter Pettigrew has the 'Order of Merlin' title to his name, so convincing a lot of people will be difficult. The only way to do that is to give him and Mr. Black a proper trial and that will take some time." Amelia said hoping to convince the young boy who was so hopeful for a life with his Godfather.

"Can't you just say that to people and get him free." He asked innocently while Amelia cringed.

"Normally she can, my boy, but the circumstance is different. You see in many people's eyes Sirius is still a mass murderer while Peter is a hero who died for his friends. And Sirius was thrown into Azkaban without a proper trial, sentenced by Barty Crouch .Sr with the supported of former minister of magic Bagnold and the support of former undersecretary Cornelius Fudge himself. In short they wouldn't let their political image being torn apart like that and they would do anything to keep it that way. Barty is still in a high position in the ministry and especially being the head of the 'Department of International Magical Cooperation' and with Cornelius being the Minister of Magic and this will be a very difficult task and almost impossible." Dumbledore explained and he was thoroughly shocked and kept his head down, because he didn't take this into account while he planned.

"We are not saying that we won't, but this will take time, Mr. Potter." Amelia said carefully trying to reassure the boy.

"How long will it take?" He asked absentmindedly.

"Don't worry Mr. Potter, give us some time. Albus here is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot while I'm the head of the 'Department of Magical Law Enforcement', so we have some powers too. It will take some time to get the trial to begin and with this substantially large piece of information and evidence, things will go much better." Amelia said a little satisfied with what she had at the moment.

"Do not worry my boy, within a few months I will be able to gather enough votes to hold a trial for Sirius and with Amelia investigating Peter Pettigrew here, we will win. But until then you will have to be patient…" Dumbledore said in his usually annoyingly but calm grandfatherly exterior and he nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry pup, soon I will be a free man and we will have a lot of fun, trust me." Sirius assured him.

There was a silence and Madam Bones nodded at them and magically binded Pettigrew and used the fireplace to floo to her office. While Dumbledore turned to him giving out a scrutinizing look.

"Harry, apart from all this, why are you not at home?" Dumbledore asked carefully.

"Well, Aunt Marge visited… and she called my mother… a…. bitch. And I got angry and ended up accidentally blowing her up like a balloon and she flew away into the sky, so I ran away from home…" He replied sounding a little hesitant. Sirius burst out laughing when he told that he blew up his aunt and was on his knees and in tears due to excessive laughing. Dumbledore was honestly lost at what to reply, because a huge part of him wanted to laugh just like Sirius, while the other part wanted to berate Harry for being irresponsible and he vaguely understood Harry's position, so he sighed and let it go.

"Harry, if you had informed me earlier then I would have made some arrangements for you to stay, but now it is okay, as you are safe." Dumbledore replied and he nodded not meeting the old headmaster's eyes.

"Okay, now I am free for a few days, so maybe I can put a Fidelius protection on the Grimmauld place and connect it to the wards there, so it will become permanent protection there. And you and Sirius can lie low in there for the next few days and it will keep you occupied." Dumbledore suggested and Sirius immediately agreed and they started planning, but he was still sceptical of why Dumbledore was being so cooperative and helpful and he decided to keep a close eye on the man.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later-**_

They were both in No.12 Grimmauld Place, and they were cleaning the place furiously. Dumbledore added the Fidelius protection to the house's wards the very next day with the help of Dobby, who became bonded with him, so technically making the house impenetrable and Sirius became its secret keeper. He didn't want to bond with Dobby, but with Sirius's persuasion he agreed grudgingly. The first thing he did was to destroy the enchanted picture of Mrs. Black which caused some hysterical crying and weeping from Kreacher, but he didn't care, as he knew that with time Kreacher will come around.

It was a fun week with Sirius, as his Godfather really explained many things about fairer sex and gave him 'the talk' which was dreadful. Dobby almost cleaned the place spotless except for the dark colours of the house and he promised himself that the next time he comes here; he will make the place sparkle.

In a couple of days he will go back to school and he was genuinely happy that he made a difference in life this time around. Sirius invited Remus and explained everything that happened and Sirius introduced him to 'Moony of the Marauders'. And they talked and he listened to all the adventures that the Marauders had in their school days and he listened carefully to all the things about his mother and father even if he already knew it.

And he submitted the signed documents of authorization to the Gringotts the next day. And he took care of all the things and placed a few contingencies in place. And he used the opportunity to speak with the enchanted portrait of his parents and he told them everything about the future and then explained what was happening right now.

He also wrote a letter to Hermione asking if he they could come and pick him up in the 'London Borough of Islington' on the morning of September 1st and they came. And he told Hermione and the Grangers everything that happened in the Leaky Cauldron on that day after their shopping trip during the car ride to the station. Hermione hugged him tightly in happiness while Emma and Dan smiled appreciatively while they were genuinely happy for him.

Finally they were in King's Cross station and he and Hermione walked in through the barrier accompanying the Grangers. And he and Hermione boarded the train and loaded all the trunks and then they sat comfortably. He also introduced Remus to the Grangers and then the train whistled and began to move carefully. And with that he was in for another year in Hogwarts and he was sure that this was going to be a normal year and he was genuinely looking forward to it.

* * *

 _ **Sorry guys I know it took a long time, but I didn't know how to end the chapter. And reviews are appreciated and critics are too, I need to know where to improve in so please tell me. And thank you for supporting me this long.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Express-**_

Hermione was walking to find the compartment that was occupied by Remus Lupin, because according to her and Harry's plan, Harry needs to be attacked by the Dementors on the train. If that happens then Harry will be able to convince Remus to teach him the Patronus charm and in turn Harry will help her learn it. After Harry introduced Remus to the Grangers, their new D.A.D.A professor disappeared into the crowd, so that was why they were searching for the man.

Hermione was clearly surprised by Harry's critical thinking, which she witnessed first-hand when they planned together for all the upcoming events that will occur ahead in time. At first she assumed it as his work experience from being an 'Investigative Auror', but then she noticed that Harry developed a Slytherin incorporated with Ravenclaw way of thinking without the bloodthirsty side effect. From what she has observed she can say that his thought process was utterly unique, he possessed the astute wits of a Ravenclaw without the inconsistency and a Slytherin's cunning with minimized fidelity all the while without the emotional response. For once in her life she couldn't place him in a specific personality type, but she could sense some deep emotions that were always hidden but something that resurfaced occasionally. One thing was sure Harry was no longer the shy, immature boy who ran head first into a situation without thinking about any of the consequences; instead he has changed for the better.

Harry was following behind her, usually a boy in his teenage body would at least check her out even if she wasn't well endowed… _yet_ , but Harry was too controlled and too much of a gentleman. She initially assumed that was because of his thirty year old maturity and mentality, but for the last several weeks she had been analysing him carefully. And she saw that Harry easily talked to girls in a friendly manner, but struggled when the girls start flirting with him. And she concluded that Harry hadn't been in a proper relationship with any girl for a long time, so he was overly inept or more like out of practice when it came to physical intimacy. And deep down she also knew that it was, because of his love towards her that kept him sexually inept and every time she thought of it her heart ached and that was one of the reasons that she worked very hard to satisfy him with the information bank in her head.

"Hermione, he is here…" She was broken out of her musing by Harry's voice. She turned around to find him standing a fair distance away almost four doors away. She walked to him to find that Professor Remus Lupin sitting and sleeping in the corner, so she nodded to him and walked in silently not to disturb the man.

"You look distracted, Hermione?" He asked her a little concernedly.

"I am fine Harry." She said exasperatedly, then she noticed him giving her a scrutinizing gaze, in turn she partially let her Occulumency shield down. Harry noticed this and used his Legilimency to mentally converse with her.

" _Are you okay?" He put his thought in her mind._

" _I will tell you later, when we are somewhere private." She replied and he accepted her answer._

"Well, Sirius is happy. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Bones are working on getting him exonerated, so no harm down. And by the time at the end of this year, we can assume that he will be free, and finally I will have a home where I am actually wanted." He said quite excitedly, but still speaking in his balanced tone.

"Now tell me what electives you chose for this year?" Hermione asked while she was sure Harry would take Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, because he complained about Divinations being a complete waste of time and she also knew that he was considered a Master in the subjects, but she still asked him. While their time in Harry's base, they only planned ahead for the future and they never really talk about anything else, so it was conversations and moments like this that she enjoyed with him.

"You know that I am going to take, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, we spoke about this once. Hermione Granger is forgetting things, wow; this is going to be the hot news of the year." He replied smiling sarcastically. To this Hermione glared at him for his comment, but lets it slide because she simply couldn't yell at him, as he was unconsciously softening her up with that _'dazzling smile of his'_ , what?, where did that come from.

"Well if you remember carefully, you never replied for it clearly. You only told me that you were thinking about it and that you were going to choose Care of Magical Creatures. You are the one who is forgetting things…" Hermione replied clearly happy that she won the argument and he smiled amusedly.

"Okay, I surrender. I am just a lowly peasant against the mighty Hermione Granger." He replied sarcastically while holding both of his hands up in the air comically.

"Prat..!" She replied and slapped him in the shoulder and he laughed lightly.

Suddenly the train stopped with a screech and the lights on the train dimmed, and the windows became frozen. Both Harry and Hermione knew what was coming, but they did nothing to stop it. Just then the door slid opened by a ghostly figure with long dark fingers, and just as soon as it opened he gave into his fear and the Dementor started suck out his happiness. But before it could go any further a bright light made the Dementor go away and he stumbled and he held himself as firmly to the seat and then he fainted.

As he woke up the first thing he saw was the smiling face of Remus and he gave a smile in return. "Ah Harry, you are awake." Remus said a little enthusiastically.

"Did you make that thing go away Remus?" He asked putting up his act.

"Harry, that's professor Lupin to you." Hermione scolded him with a slap to his hand, while Remus smiled at the two children. Lupin stood up and took a piece of chocolate and gave it to him.

"That was a Dementor, Harry. It was checking the train for Sirius Black." Remus said while giving him a known smile and he smiled back.

"Eat, you will feel better, while I will have a word with the driver." Remus said and walked out.

Just as Remus walked out, Hermione took her wand and gave it a wave and the door slid close. And with that she turned to look at him and he asked her, "That went rather well, don't you think. How long was I out?"

"Not long, just a couple of minutes…" Hermione said in a tone that he couldn't quite place, it felt kind of subdued, but concerned at the same time.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" He asked unsurely and doubtfully.

"Me? I am the one who should be asking you?" She said in an amused and annoyed tone. And he sighed, because he consciously agreed with Mr. Granger's advice of how difficult it is to understand women, so he let it be.

"Hermione aren't you wearing that wand-holster I gifted you. Didn't you like it?" He asked a little disappointed tone.

"Harry, I like it alright, but I don't think wearing it all the time is my preference, because girls usually spend a lot of time being clean and hygienic. And I have to remove it every time I wash my hand. So it is kind of irritating." Hermione replied seeing that she kind of disappointed him. She actually was going to wear it during D.A.D.A class as it would be very helpful to have easy access to your wands.

"Harry, did you notice how Mrs. Weasley kept trying to make me talk with Ron while our briefs stay in Leaky Cauldron?" Hermione asked, as it was one of the few things that kept bothering her.

"Yes, I noticed Hermione. Don't worry she was just trying to play match maker." He assured her and eased her. But Hermione noticed that Harry had a faraway look in his eye and how a brief scowl that appeared and disappeared on his face. She decided to look into the topic in detail later, so she let it go for now.

The rest of the train ride was quite without any interruptions, but Malfoy came in search of them to humiliate them, but they placed a notice-me-not charm on the door which protected them both from Malfoy. After that they talked a few times, but eventually they took to reading and they silently reached the castle.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Castle-**_

After the song from the Frog Choir, Dumbledore announced how the Dementors are dark vile creatures that guards the Azkaban Prison are currently stationed around Hogwarts as a precaution. And he also warned everyone that they have to be extra careful and not to provoke the Dementors and also not to give them any reason to attack, especially glancing on the Weasley twins for a few moments. He also announced that Hagrid will be taking the post as the professor of 'Care of Magical Creatures' course and Remus Lupin will be their new 'Defence Against Dark Arts' teacher and with that the feast began. The most conversed topic was about Sirius Black the supposedly mass murderer's escape from Azkaban, but the Weasley twins shared a few stories with him that happened during the summer and kept him entertained.

The next day the classes began, their first class was Arithmancy on the seventh floor and to his surprise Hermione was giddy like an actual schoolgirl regarding the fact that she was a thirty year old woman in mind. But the actual reason for her excitement was that she had company for the class that she loved so much, which she had to attend alone last time around if anything it only appealed her to the fact that her company turned out to be a Master Arithmancer.

Harry being a Master Arithmancer was all it needed for Hermione to pound him with numerous questions that he eventually lost track of and his answers only seemed to upsurge her never ending curiosity for acquiring knowledge. He only began his Arithmancy very late during his early twenties, so it took him around seven years to attain his mastery in the subject and everything he learned was from experience and from continuous dangerous applications. So his method of approach on the subject was very different and this is what piqued Hermione's curiosity, because he used real life scenarios to support his logic while answering questions and all those scenarios were once actual events in his old life.

Professor Septima Vector was an old fashioned, but very strict teacher. And when Harry analysed her, he noticed that she picked up even the slightest of differences in his answers. While she was impressed by Hermione's curiosity and in depth and extensive knowledge in the subject, she was more interested with his answers, so he decided to tread carefully under her watchful eyes.

Septima was very rarely impressed while even rarely surprised, but here she was both impressed and surprised by the two third year students in her class. Septima recognized both of them, the boy was Harry Potter the famous prodigy of his age and the girl was his inseparable friend Hermione Granger and a fine witch who was equally or even more brilliant. But what really put her off balance was that the two children's minds worked very differently, like they were experienced Arithmancers who used their knowledge to predict daily events with numbers like it was common occurrence. She eventually decided to keep a closer eye on the two children in her current third year class to look for anomalies which indicated prodigious talent in the subject.

They had double Transfiguration next which turned out to be rather fun, because they had a lecture on Animagi transformation. They learned about the known Animagi witches and wizards and their history and the theory behind such kind of transformation and McGonagall even gave them a demonstration. Hermione asked about the actual process of such a transformation and McGonagall denied speaking anything about it even by accident.

* * *

 _ **Care of Magical Creatures-**_

Finally after an infuriatingly slow hour with Snape in the dungeons they had a theory class with Lupin which was heaven compared to potions class. And finally they had their 'Care of Magical Creatures' with Hagrid, but it was with the Slytherins so nothing really changed.

They all moved to the forest with their 'Monster Book of Monsters' and he noticed a few odd things. He noticed that Ronald Weasley was extremely happy about something and Seamus, Dean and Neville were all equally happy about it, this usually would have alarmed him, but none of them even remotely glanced at him or Hermione, so he dropped it.

"I've got a real treat for ya…" Hagrid said in a really exaggerated tone and he smiled at his huge friend's enthusiasm.

With that Hagrid led them to the interior of the forest and while on their way one of the Slytherins asked what was that they were going to learn about and Hagrid answered by telling them to refer page 10 of their prescribed book.

"And how exactly do we do that?" Malfoy asked pointing out that the Monster book was trying to bite them every time they tried to open it. Immediately he and Hermione stroked the spine of the book and calmed the living book down.

"Ye'h stroke the spine o'course." Hagrid replied and Draco for once took the advice.

"Ta, ta, da, da… Is'n she beautiful..?" Hagrid asked out loud getting a smile from him and Hermione.

"What is that professor?" One of the students asked Hagrid.

"That is a Hippogriff, the firs' thing ye'h need to learn abou' Hippogriff are that they are very proud' creatures, so ye'h do not insult a hippogriff becau' that may be the last thing' ye'h ever do. So, who would like to come say 'Hello'?" Hagrid asked and most of the students took a step backwards including Hermione who was still afraid of flying even after all the adventures they shared. He did not attempt to join the group, because he needed to bond with Buckbeak and for some reason it felt right. He knew that if he stopped showing off then Malfoy would not attempt to provoke the beast and Buckbeak would be spare from an execution in the future, but he knew that he can prevent it, so he didn't care as he needed that long flight on top of the Hippogriff.

"Well done 'Arry, well don'…" Hagrid said as he found him willing to go and bond with the beast, so Hagrid began instructing him.

With that he moved forward and he bowed to Buckbeak and waited for it to bow back and when it did, he moved closer steadily and slowly just like instructed. And finally when he touched the hippogriff the creature recognized him and bonded with him and before he can do anything, Hagrid lifted him and sat him on the back of Buckbeak and he was flying. And after almost ten minutes of flying Buckbeak landed and Hagrid lifted him and placed him down.

"You are not dangerous at all are you?" Draco walked out to the Hippogriff in a provoking manner and just like last time Buckbeak lost control and stood in its hind legs and raised itself to attack.

"Buckbeak!" He yelled and that distracted the hippogriff enough for him to get in front of the proud hippogriff and as a result Buckbeak took a step backwards, while Hagrid gave Buckbeak a dead ferret to divert its attention and to calm him down.

"You tosser, are you an idiot? Didn't you listen to what the professor just said?" He lashed out to the Malfoy. And the entire class laughed at Draco's expense except Draco's friends while they too sniggered a little and since the young Malfoy did not have a witty response like usual, he just went back to stand behind everyone probably out of embarrassment.

And with that he walked over to Hermione and she gave a brief smile indicating him that what could have been an execution of an innocent creature was avoided and he got a free flying experience. And he promised himself that he will help Hermione to get over her fear of heights during flying, but he decided to wait a little for that.

* * *

 _ **Regular Classes-**_

Study of Ancient Runes was a fascinating subject to Hermione while for him he found it boring to study everything from the very beginning as he was a Master in that art too. Bathsheda Babbling was their Runes professor and it didn't help him, as she was so insipidly slow in teaching runic scriptures. He only took interest in this art when he found out that Runes were used in setting up wards and curse breakers worked really hard to break these runic systems. But this class was almost fully theoretical, so he found it terribly mind-numbing.

When he first became an Auror, almost every veteran aurors found his inability to understand runes to be highly amusing and it was very embarrassing to him. He was a joke to most of the veteran Aurors in the beginning and they even went as far as to mock him behind his back. And that hurt because he lived most of his life with others' opinion about him and he never really judged his abilities and talents and he only understood his mistake a little too late.

He began to read about runes and started taking classes by hiring private tutors and it was never enough for his colleagues, as they kept expecting great things from him. He was a decent dueller, but he was no match to aurors such as Kingsley Shacklebolt who became the 'Minister of Magic' and he became a laughing stock. As he was too proud to just quit the job, he pushed himself harder and harder to learn whatever he can as fast as possible. But it still didn't help, so he transferred himself to the investigation department and he used the excess time that he had after investigating, mostly to learn everything and he eventually became successful. And just like Arithmancy, he learned everything in a practical approach; he usually made it a habit to learn everything he wanted to know by breaking runic rituals in security wards continuously as it was a job requirement. Hence that was also one of the reasons for why he found the class being so tediously slow and uninteresting.

The next day on their first D.A.D.A class, Lupin taught them all about boggarts and just like last time his boggart took the shape of a Dementor and Lupin stopped him just like before. While he used his Occulumency and Legilimency combine to bring forth all the bad memories he had on Dementors and used it project his artificially induced fear. A Boggart takes the shape of what a person fears the most by reading their mind, while when it tried to read him, he shrouded his mind and induced a fear of Dementors as surface thoughts and he tricked the boggart easily.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's Office-**_

Dumbledore was not really enjoying his job at the moment, because for the first time in fifty years the great Albus Dumbledore was confused and out of clue. And the reason for such a thing is one Harry Potter; Dumbledore was weighing the benefits for his next action.

Just an hour ago Amelia Bones sent a letter to him saying that she was able to begin her investigation into Peter Pettigrew. Only a few key members in the Ministry knew about the investigation, Fudge and Barty Crouch Senior were not really concerned about the investigation, because they didn't think that they have made a mistake in the first place.

Amelia Bones was slowly investigating and putting Peter Pettigrew under watchful eyes to ensure that the man would show the signs of doubt and then she will be able to persuade the Wizengamot to check the man for the dark mark. If that happens then it will not take much effort to strip the 'Order of Merlin' title off of Pettigrew and then use Veritaserum on the man. And with that the truth about what happened thirteen years ago will come out and Sirius will be given a fair trial.

And that would prove Sirius's innocence, but that was what worried him, because if Sirius Black gets exonerated then the 'Potter family will' will be reread again and Black would gain legal guardianship over Harry Potter. And that cannot be allowed at any cost, because that would throw a wrench in his plans.

Dumbledore only decided to help Sirius on that day, because Harry and Sirius were there together that day. If he pulled his wand on Sirius that day, then the boy would never trust him and that was something he cannot afford to have, even if he could erase Harry's mind, the boy would smell something to be off due to the boy's overly adept Occulumency and it would undoubtedly come back to bite him again. The boy was too smart and very much like his mother, Lily Potter too didn't trust him completely, a trait that her husband later acquired from her.

Now Amelia Bones was a problem too, if he tried to delay things then Amelia would instantly recognize his efforts and then there was the chance that it will put most of the Order members out of his reach too. So he had to make sure that Sirius gets exonerated or else too many things will go out with him. And if he manages to get Sirius exonerated then he will lose Harry Potter forever and that was something he cannot afford. After a very serious thinking session, Dumbledore finally decided to help Sirius acquitted of any guilty charges, but he will have to use Harry Potter's vault key to make some changes in the setup and changes in the will, so that Sirius does not get Harry and to ensure that he goes to the Weasleys. And if that happens then he will be able to make Harry into getting close to the youngest Weasley girl just as he promised to the Weasley Matriarch and then he will be able to manipulate Harry's every move.

So in the end he decided to play the game pretty close to the chest and take the gamble. Because now he will have to convince the Wizengamot to get Sirius Black a fair trial and that would lead to Black being exculpated, but at the same time he will have to make sure that Harry Potter doesn't become independent at any cost, as that was absolutely necessary.

* * *

 _ **One Month Later-**_

The month passed quickly, Harry and Hermione began their physical training and duelling practices, as preparation for the future. He and Hermione agreed that they need to physically fit, if they are going to be fighting in a war by the time they reach magical maturity. He came up with an idea of learning martial arts during the vacations, but Hermione disagreed and told him that they were wasting the entirety of ten months and learning only two months won't do them much good. Hermione being the smartest one, he agreed with her reasoning and decided to help her go through some physical fitness regimen, so this was the result of their discussion, where he and Hermione were practicing.

"I still don't know how you can go through all that and stand there without even looking winded in the least?" Hermione asked as she was lying on the thin mattress on the ground of the 'Room of Requirements' while breathing heavily.

"You fail to take it into account that I have two years of head start on you. And besides I am a little tired too…" He replied as he stood sternly.

"You clearly don't look like you are tired." Hermione said and he chuckled lightly. She and Harry began the day by jogging around the school grounds very early in the morning when almost all of the students were still asleep. After that they made their way to the 'Room of requirements' and began their exercises which consists of push-ups, pull-up, chin-ups, jumping jacks and duck walk, but he made sure that she didn't push herself too much, but still she was completely exhausted when they finished.

"Come on Hermione, get up. We have an hour to practice duelling before I go to Quidditch practice." He told her and she groaned and started complaining.

"Harry you are a slave driver, let's stop, we have done enough practice for a day." Hermione suggested while groaning due to her aching muscles.

"Sorry Hermione, but as your trainer I suggest that you get up now and start practicing. Just for one hour and then you can rest for the entire day." He said in a stern but encouraging manner.

"Harry, I know how you fight, so it is not that hard to predict your moves and besides you will not even use a spell that will even remotely hurt, sometimes you are just too sweet. We need someone who will not hold back on us and give us the proper training." Hermione said and he did not know of he should be offended or feel complimented.

"The only one that matches such a description is Snape." He said sarcastically.

"You are right, we should ask him." Hermione said and he laughed but when she looked at him seriously, he noticed that she really meant it and he frowned at her.

"Snape can't be trusted, Hermione. So we will not reveal anything to him and we will be careful around him." He said in a decisive tone, but Hermione was surprised by his answer.

"Harry after the war, you are the one who told me that you trusted Snape and believed that he was on our side?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Now I am telling you that we can't trust Snape, so leave it at that." He replied back in an irritated tone.

"No Harry, I am not going to leave it until you give me a solid reason." She stood up and asked now in a clearly interested tone.

"Why is this important to you all of a sudden? You agreed with me pretty easily last time, so what changed now?" He asked back in a calm tone, but still forcefully.

"You know many things and you are not sharing them with me and back then I had reason to agree with you. And just like Dumbledore you are playing with that information thinking that you know better. Do you think that not informing me will be useful to our mission?" Hermione pointed out his flaws. And that statement comparing him to Dumbledore really hyped his anger to a whole other level, but he calmed himself down by actively using Occulumency.

"You want to know why? Okay, I will tell you why." He replied impassively and began.

"A few years after the war, at the beginning of my trip to the other countries to begin my investigation regarding the cold cases, I found myself incapable to concentrate on anything. I had a lot of unresolved issues in my past that kept me from growing further, so I decided to put an end to it by searching for information regarding my past." He said and then he took a chair and sat near the table and Hermione did the same and sat across him facing him, expecting him to continue.

"My mind was a mess back then; I didn't know what to believe and what not to… So, I disregarded everything I knew and decided to start again from the very beginning. I knew that I needed to talk to everyone that were close to me like family to judge them and I also knew that it was impossible, because I had none in the living world. Hence I searched for the 'Resurrection Stone' in the forbidden forest for almost three weeks and I finally found it and when I did, I summoned the spirits of my parents and Sirius and Remus to ask questions. Are you with me so far?" He asked Hermione and she calmly nodded as she was very interested in his story.

"That is when I learned that I cannot trust Snape and that my father was not really an unscrupulous man as I pictured him to be. So he was bully, but he was a teenager and teenagers do stupid things and I for one had done many stupid things and most of them had cost me a lot and one of those things he did is that he picked on Snape continuously, so what?" He asked to Hermione forcefully and she looked unconvinced.

"Who gave me that memory of Snape loving my mother so much that he unconsciously cared for me?" He asked her a question.

"Snape did, but…" Hermione answered carefully and before she could continue he asked again.

"And we believed him?" He asked her curiously.

"What did he do, for us to not believe him?" She questioned him back.

"What did he do to earn our trust?" He asked her solemnly. And Hermione couldn't come up with an answer to that question.

"Snape asked Voldemort to spare my mother's life in return for me and my father's life, right?" He asked and she nodded positively and that truth was something Hermione didn't approve off.

"If he had gotten what he wanted and then what, with me and dad out of the picture, what would he have done to my mother then?" He asked her again.

"And think before you answer that Snape wouldn't have redeemed himself; if my mother had not died?" He added to his previous statement and expected an answer.

"He would have tried to seduce her." Hermione replied in a low tone as it was the obvious answer. If Harry and James had died that day instead of Lily and James then Snape would have used the opportunity to comfort a broken lady who has lost both her husband and son, and then a man like Snape would have ensured that he created feeling regarding him in her mind.

"And if she refused?" He asked her again.

"He would have forced her, with Amortentia or something…else, as he is not a stranger to murder or rape, but I believe that he would have chosen Amortentia because he loved your mother." She replied in the same low subdued tone.

"Well this is all just speculation, Harry. We don't even know what the truth is is…" She replied trying to come up with some defence.

"Well you are right, they are all just speculation, but I have a good idea of what kind of man he is, because we encountered his other side on quite a few occasions. Do you remember our skirmish in the 'Shrieking Shack' with Remus, Sirius, Peter and Snape?" He asked Hermione and she nodded again and he continued.

"When we were using the time-turner, we saw Snape going into the shack just behind Remus, but he only showed himself to us quite later. And he is one of the very few who knew that Sirius, dad and Peter were Animagus wizards and Remus's special condition, so he used my 'invisibility cloak' to listen into everything we spoke of for quite some time. And he interfered just before Remus and Sirius could explain to us what was really going on, don't you find that too much of a coincidence. And he deliberately left the Wolfsbane potion in Remus's office when he came in search of us and he said that he saw us all in the 'Shrieking Shack' via the 'Marauder's Map' then he would have definitely seen Peter there too then why didn't he do anything, why Hermione?" He asked Hermione and she was thinking carefully and a few minutes later she replied.

"He wanted Remus to change into an uncontrollable werewolf, so that if something indeed happened to us then he could place the blame on Lupin." Hermione said in an almost inaudible voice while keeping her head down.

"And if he had dragged Sirius outside, then the Dementors would have swooped down and kissed Sirius. Pettigrew would have used that opportunity to escape again and would have gone back to Voldemort and he would have told of Snape's deed to the Dark Lord and that would have given him a higher standing within the ranks of the Death Eaters. And most importantly what would have the ministry done if one of us had been hurt or infected by a transformed Lupin?" He asked her again while he explained from his point of view.

"The Ministry stooges would have condemned Remus to be kissed or executed…" Hermione replied and then she understood the delicacy of such a situation and the depth of complication that would have arose.

"Snape would have gotten his revenge against my father, by killing two of his best friends and on the way he would have taken away both the prospects of a happy home life for me. And he would have used that opportunity to show me memories of my father's teenage mistakes and I would have portrayed him as a bad man. What better way is there to get revenge on my dad rather than making the beloved son to hate his own father? My father sacrificed his life to buy a few extra minutes for his wife and his baby boy even after knowing that he wouldn't stand a chance against Voldemort and that was the kind of man my father was and nothing, a swine like _Snape,_ shows me will change that… And this itself shows us that he is not a man who has redeemed himself of his ways." He said with venom when he mentioned Snape's name.

"And that is not all; do you remember when we told Snape about my dream of Sirius being captured and tortured in the 'Department of Mysteries'. And then we were able to evade Umbridge and used thestrals to fly to the Ministry. And it took us almost two and a half hours to get there, while Snape had access to Hogsmeade where he could have flooed or apparated to the Order members and then warned them. Even if he had walked like an old woman, it would have only taken him around thirty minutes tops to warn everyone, but none of the Order members came until another half an hour after we _reached_ the 'Department of Mysteries'. And what does that tell you?" He asked her again while Hermione was too shocked that she couldn't think of anything to answer him.

"Do you need any more proofs or explanations regarding this topic, Hermione?" He asked her again impassively. Hermione shook her head negatively, as she was already convinced that Snape wasn't acting in Harry's best interests and besides she didn't want to defend that potions master's deeds either.

"Snape is a shallow minded git, but he is cunning, ambitious and far more devious than anybody I have ever known. He is not loyal to anyone but himself, he works for his own personal goals and agendas, while deceiving and eliminating anyone or anything that stands in his way." He said and Hermione nodded slowly in agreement.

"And Hermione I am not hiding things for any of my goals, but I am just not ready to…reveal…everything just yet, so please bear with me patiently." He requested to her in an almost pleading tone and she nodded and began.

"I am sorry Harry, I did not mean it like that, but I just want to know things too. You are too withdrawn to yourself and I can say when you are not telling me things, because you are comfortable of doing things alone, but I want to tell you is that I am here for you and please try to share your thoughts with me." Hermione said and he nodded, but he was caught off guard when she hugged him tightly and then he hugged her back.

"Well, we will practice tomorrow Hermione, because it is time for me to freshen up and go to the Quidditch pitch to begin my practice." He said and slowly moved away from the embrace and turned to walk away trying to calm himself from the growing feelings and emotions. And with that he walked out of the room while Hermione followed closely behind him.

* * *

 _ **Halloween-**_

Halloween approached and all third years were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. And this time he and Hermione made their way to the small village via carriages. He and Hermione were one of the last people to board the carriages, so they were alone. He decided to reveal some things to her as it would be excite her and it will lighten the mood, in the past he never had an opportunity to go to Hogsmeade with Hermione alone ans spend time with her, so he was going to make the most of this trip. He took his Blackthorn wand and cast 'silencing charms' all around the carriage and once it started moving he got Hermione's attention who was sitting across him.

"Hermione, I have a few things to tell you." He began and that got Hermione's attention. He took his Blackthorn wand and showed it to her and spoke.

"Hermione this is no ordinary wand, this is the substitute for the elder wand. I had this wand made by Ollivander using blackthorn wand-wood and thestral's tail hair, it has not chosen its master yet and it is dangerous for anyone who uses it carelessly. I thought you should know about this, if we are going to work together to bring about change." He informed Hermione and she nodded gratefully while she was very happy that Harry decided to open up to her and share things with her.

"And I have discovered Salazar Slytherin's private library located in the 'Chamber of Secrets'." He said and before he could continue he was interrupted by a yell.

"WHAT?" Hermione yelled in shock.

"When did you find it Harry, have you gone there during this year?" Hermione asked him very excitedly.

"I found it the day you returned to this timeline Hermione. And no, I haven't gone into the chamber this year, yet…" He replied amusedly at her enthusiasm.

"Harry will you take me there?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Why would tell you about this if I am not going to take you there?" He replied with a question and as a result she jumped onto him and engulfed him in a huge hug.

"Thank you, Harry. Do you have any idea what we can do with such old books and ancient magical spells?" Hermione asked excitedly and he nodded in agreement while he was even more amused by her reaction.

He reached into his backpack which was under an 'extension charm' and he took out a black bundle of cloth and handed it to Hermione.

"That is an invisibility cloak I found in Slytherin's personal collection of items and I want you to have it Hermione…to keep you safe." He added the last words a little nervously.

"It is not a cloak per se, it is a kind of a cape and it is very effective too. It has charms etched into it that it will fit anyone of any height and it is not like mine, you can control when you want to be invisible and when you not want it to. All you have to do is to use your magic to make yourself invisible and it will work." He explained its inner workings to her in order to cover his nervousness.

As a result Hermione stood up and moved and sat beside him and hugged his right hand and laid her head on his shoulder for the rest of the carriage trip to the Hogsmeade village. At first Harry was a little emotionless and stiff, but eventually he relaxed and then they enjoyed the rest of the trip. At first they went to 'Honeydukes' and bought Chocolate Frogs, Chocolate wands, Liquorice wands, Pumpkin Pasties and Sugar Quills and then they proceeded to go to other shops. Then they went to 'Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop' and bought entire set of new stationaries which he bought and gifted to Hermione. After that he and Hermione went to 'Tomes and Scrolls' and browsed for a few books and then once they bought it they exited.

Then finally they spent the remaining time in 'Three Broomsticks Inn' with Neville and then they returned back to the castle. During this time they found out that from Neville that Ron got a new owl as replacement for the rat he lost and they all found 'divinations' to be extremely easy, so it turned out to be fun class for all four of his dormmates which was the reason for their recent happy mood.

* * *

 _ **Quidditch-**_

As there was no Sirius Black to terrorize Hogwarts this time around, the next days were calm and happy. They both continued with their physical training and Luna asked to join them and he didn't agree as he made it clear to Luna that he needed her to enter her teenage years to join them. As her young body will not agree with such strenuous exercises, so he convinced her not to begin now, but promised to help her begin next year.

Their first match was against Slytherin and they were expecting an easy win, but he was a little sceptical about things. The match began like usual and Draco and him went for the snitch, but it was raining heavily just like last time, so he was careful not to wander off into the rain clouds. The snitch hid very quickly and the weather was not helping and he lost track of the snitch within the first ten minutes of the match.

He came back to assist his team in the victory, only to find out that Oliver was injured by a bludger and Slytherins were scoring points like barmy, as they did not have a keeper. He stood guard over the rings and defended his team and stopped the Slytherins from scoring any more points. But Slytherins were able to gang up on both of their chasers and take them out of the game too. After that he called the Weasley twins and they defended the team from the Slytherins and protected the goals from any more score points. But unfortunately Draco found the snitch and the game ended the Slytherins won the game with a massive lead of points which was a hundred and eighty points higher than them.

It was Gryffindor's first loss in two years, so it was a little loud in the common room, but nobody blamed him or anybody on the team, as they were not really disappointed with the game, because most of them expected a loss soon. But Oliver Wood their captain promised that they will be able to win the next two matches and have a shot at the 'Quidditch Cup'. And they all silently vowed to keep the cup to themselves this year too and that they will not go lax as their continuous victories in the past has led them to.

* * *

 _ **This chapter is a little uneventful I agree, but the 'Prisoner of Azkaban' book really was a one sided story, too focused on Sirius Black's escape, so without him this year will be kind of boring. So please stay tuned and I hope you will be interested in this long enough for the later years. Thank you for being patient readers and as usual Reviews and Critics are encouraged.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Early November-**_

They were currently attending their first D.A.D.A class with professor Lupin after the last few weeks with Snape. Snape made it so obvious that he disliked Harry's talents in 'Defence Against Dark Arts' and he also made sure to give the class a lot of homework to suffer with while Lupin was away. In today's class, just like last time Professor Lupin asked Hermione and Susan Bones to retrieve the spellbook which the man hid behind the secret passageway of the class. After that Hermione read the book and learned the basics of the 'freezing spell'. And just when the class ended, he decided to approach Remus and inquire a way to defend himself against a Dementor, so he stayed behind after everyone went away and on the way out Hermione gave him an unnoticeable nod which he took as a go sign.

"Professor..?" He called out to Remus who was climbing the short stairs leading to Remus's office.

"Oh Harry, I didn't see you there." Remus replied in a startled manner, while looking at him curiously.

"Professor, can I ask you something?" He asked looking nervous.

"Yes Harry, come up to my office and we can talk there…" Lupin said and walked up the stairs into his room and he followed behind the man. Remus opened his office and took his seat, while Harry followed and stood across facing him.

"Professor, I was wondering if there is any way to defend oneself from a Dementor during an outright confrontation." He asked sounding hesitant and acting uncertain.

"Yes, Harry there is…, why do you ask?" Lupin asked back curiously as he noticed the warm smile and a look of hope in Harry's eyes when he confirmed that there indeed was a way to defend against a Dementor.

"Professor, since the day the Dementor attacked me in the train, everything has been very difficult. And I don't know why, I just need to be sure that I can defend myself against a Dementor." He replied honestly.

"What has made what difficult, Harry…?" Remus asked back for more details.

"Nightmares, memories and such…" Harry replied dispassionately.

"Dementors are dark creatures, Harry. They draw out every good and happy memory leaving a person only with his/her their worst experiences." Remus explained carefully.

"But none of my friends are affected by it, so what makes me so weak compare to them?" He asked faking a distressed tone.

"Harry, you are not weak. The Dementors affect you the most among many others, because there are true horrors in your past, horrors that your classmates can scarcely imagine." Remus corrected his analogy gently yet sternly.

"But still…" He started again, but Remus interrupted him.

"Harry, do you remember when your boggart changed into a Dementor?" Remus asked and he gave a nod.

"I stopped it, not because I thought that you wouldn't be able to handle it, but I feared that it would take the form of You-know-who." Remus said in a reassuring manner.

"But as the Dementors are affecting you, it is only fair that you learn how to defend yourself. I will teach you Harry, but not now maybe after the Christmas break." Remus suggested and he nodded happily.

"Thank you, Professor." He said in a clearly excited tone and Remus nodded back to him.

With that he walked out of the D.A.D.A classroom and he headed to the Library to inform Hermione about the development. As this was their last class for the day, he was looking forward to spend the remaining time with Hermione either studying or duelling.

* * *

 _ **Library-**_

Hermione was sitting in her usual table reading a book, but the book was not the one that had her full attention, again as usual Hermione was in deep thought. She was positive that she was healing from the mental wounds that were caused by one Ronald Bilius Weasley seventeen years in the future and she was finally getting used to the idea of her daughter not yet existing. But even with her thirty one year old mentality she was more than a little afraid about her progressing feelings for one Harry Potter.

She didn't know what to think of her friend, it was obvious that he cared for her deeply and loved her more than anything, but she couldn't help but think that maybe Harry would end up being a bad decision just like it did with Ron. But something about Harry attracted her to him, was it because of his extensive knowledge and talent in various magical arts that he acquired in the future. Or was it because of his ability to handle so many multifarious things without making adverse changes in the timeline. Or was it because of his humble and selfless nature that he still possessed even after all the things he went through the years, she honestly didn't know. One thing was clear; Harry James Potter is a person who confused _'her'_ at every turn so much that it subconsciously kept alluring her to him.

Just then, the boy/man who occupied her thoughts frequently walked into the library and unknowingly she smiled shyly and a part of her couldn't understand why she was acting like a hormone stricken teenage girl.

"Hermione it worked, professor Lupin agreed to teach me the Patronus charm." Harry said excitedly. Hermione was broken out of her musing by Harry's statement and she looked at him and said.

"That is great Harry." Hermione said in an equally excited tone.

"This year after learning the 'Patronus charm' we can convince Remus to give us private classes on many spells and magical knowledge, because without the incident in the 'Shrieking Shack' that happened the last time around he will possibly still have the job till the end of the year. That will give us a viable cover to demonstrate many of our talents next year." Harry said and Hermione nodded.

With that both Harry and Hermione started reading, but Hermione was gathering courage to ask him a few things. She needed to put an end to Harry's introverted habits and even if she couldn't, she at the least needed to point out to him that Harry was burdening himself by doing everything alone. She could understand that he was very comfortable with doing everything alone, but that doesn't mean she have to like it she needed to assure him that she too was in this with him. Hermione was a very observant and intelligent woman/girl and she could see that Harry didn't trust her fully, even if he denies it to himself; she suspected that deep down he knew that it to be true. She needed to worm her way through his barriers for her to see who he truly was, but she was growing impatient as he kept her within the arm's reach, but still he ventured alone. Finally she gathered enough courage to ask, but she noticed that the Library was crowded with many Ravenclaw seventh years who were studying furiously due to their heavy schedule for NEWTs.

"Harry, can we go to 'the Room'?" Hermione implied what she meant, but her request was hesitant and he too noticed this, but nodded nonetheless.

With that they both made their way to the seventh floor corridor and passed the portrait of 'Barnabas the Barmy' and reached the wall at the end of the corridor and Hermione walked in front of the wall thrice while thinking of the room she wanted and the door appeared. Hermione opened the door and walked in while Harry followed behind her. The room looked like a private study with various bookshelves and a single round table with two chairs at opposite positions near the fireplace.

"What are we doing here, Hermione?" He asked a little curious of why Hermione would bring them here if she just wanted to study which they could have done that back in the Library itself.

"I wanted to ask you a few things, Harry." Hermione asked in the same hesitant tone.

"What is it Hermione?" He asked concernedly, because Hermione wasn't acting like she usually does. Hermione walked and took a seat on one of the chairs and he did the same and sat facing her.

"When was the last time you were in a relationship with another girl?" She asked calmly and evenly, now the previous hesitance nowhere to be found. Harry expected many questions from Hermione but this was not one of them, so he gave an involuntary chuckle.

"What kind of question is that, Hermione? And where did that come from?" He asked a little amused that Hermione of all people would ask him that, but he noticed that she meant what she asked as she was looking back at him seriously expecting an honest answer.

"Not in a very long time. Why?" He replied truthfully.

"You are socially inept Harry. You are too withdrawn and introverted and you only talk to me, Neville and Luna. This is not good Harry; you are too focused on predicting what happens next and how to counter them than to live your life for what's worth it and with what's in front of you." Hermione said with obvious concern in her voice. What she couldn't understand was that he thought about this quite often, but his duty stricken mind regularly questioned him how it is that he can just enjoy himself, when the world is going to be in peril in the near future.

"I am not socially inept Hermione, I am just unwilling to distract myself from the task ahead of us." He replied calmly sounding like a mature older sibling to a toddler. This would have usually derailed any other teenager, but not Hermione she saw through Harry's evasive speech almost instantly.

"You can call what you want Harry, but this is not healthy. You will have to talk to people and start making other friends and try to have a relationship and overcome your problems." Hermione said concernedly, but sternly.

"Why are you interested in my personal life all of a sudden?" He asked in an irritated tone he stood up from the chair and started walking.

"Because I want to know, what made you like this…? What happened to that trust you used to have in me as a friend, but not as a second choice? What made you so cold that you are willing to put people's misgivings that they did in the future behind your back, but not give them a chance to make up for it? What happened to that kind-hearted, compassionate Harry I once knew?" Hermione asked as she stood up so fast that her chair fell down. Her voice broke in the middle showing her concern and care, while her eyes still remained stern.

For a long minute, Harry just stood keeping his head down while in deep thought about what Hermione had just said... Only one thought running in his mind _'should he tell her'_ and after a long contemplation he made a decision to show her.

"I cannot tell you about what happened that changed me…" He said and Hermione was going to object, but he continued to speak "…but I can definitely show you."

Harry slowly walked to her and sat in a chair, while he led Hermione to sit straight in front of him and took her hand in his and closed his eyes for a minute and then opened it to stare directly into Hermione's eyes which penetrated into her very soul.

"Use your Legilimency on me and I will show you the memory of what changed me for who I am today, was 'that' incident's result." He said slowly like he was afraid. Hermione nodded slightly but hesitantly and concentrated to use the Legilimency on him, brown eyes met green and she saw.

* * *

 _ **Memory-**_

 _Harry was sitting in the couch just outside the kitchen in the burrow, as a single tear slid down his left cheek; he was softly tracing his wand in his hand. It was almost sunset Arthur, Molly and Ginny were all out shopping while he was waiting for them to come back. He looked over to the kitchen which was in shambles, as the stove and sink was all moved away and utensils lying around to reveal a secret path that led to a cellar beneath the kitchen floor that was actually a small potions lab._

 _At that moment Molly, Arthur and Ginny all came in through the door only find him sitting in the couch with a wand in hand, while they turned to find the destroyed kitchen. Molly and Ginny stood still in shock looking at Harry who obviously found out about their long term plan._

 _He stood up from the couch and walked straight to Ginny and asked, "What is that Ginny?" He asked pointing his finger to the kitchen while his tone was cold, dead and absolutely evil which sent shivers through Ginny's spine._

" _Harry…I...I…can...explain." She stammered in fear._

" _Please do…" He said in the exactly same ice cold tone._

 _Ginny tried to explain, but she couldn't come up with any words and then she looked at Molly who had the same fear in her eyes. Immediately Molly Weasley forced a smile to her face and looked at Harry and said, "Harry dear, sit down and then we can…"_

 _She was cut off by Harry's left hand which in a flash caught hold of the manipulative lady's neck and started squeezing. Harry knew that Molly was in on this too, because Molly Bloody Weasley was not a woman who talks nicely to someone who just destroyed her kitchen and it was glaringly obvious that she helped brew the potions for Ginny's sake; he was so furious that he wasn't thinking anymore._

" _HARRY!" Arthur yelled and caught his hand in an attempt to pluck it off of his wife's neck, but he didn't expect Harry to react. Harry reacted by punching Arthur's nose with his right hand and effectively breaking it and when he retracted his arm, he instinctively backhanded Ginny._

 _He immediately drew his wand and pointed it at Arthur and yelled, "STUPEFY!" And when his spell connected Arthur was stunned into unconsciousness. He turned and pointed his wand to Ginny who drew her own wand and he said, "DIFFINDO", "EXPELLIARMUS" in close successions, the first spell cut Ginny's wand in half and the next spell disarmed the remaining half from her hand._

 _He pushed the still suffocating Molly down to the floor while releasing his hold. Both Molly and Ginny were on the ground Ginny to his right while Molly to his left, he said "Muffliato…" and secured the entire ground floor. "Tell me…" He said in the same maniac like cold tone that scared them to hell._

 _Both Ginny and Molly were thinking of their options, they have to escape and somehow contain this situation or else all the effort they put into manipulating Harry for this long will be for nothing, but Harry guessed what they were thinking and decided to put an end to their thoughts._

" _Incarcerous!" He muttered and ropes came out from the tip of his wand that split into two and tied them both up._

" _You have two choices, either you both come clean with me and tell me everything or I make you. It is your choice…" He threatened, but both the Weasleys weren't budging and kept quiet._

" _Harry, please listen to us. It was for us, for the good, I love you." Ginny cried out in an attempt of desperation, but that was not the answer what Harry was expecting or what he wanted, so he didn't care for her pleas._

" _So be it." He whispered coldly._

" _LEGILLIMENS." He yelled, while pointing his wand to Molly._

 _A few minutes later he broke out of the trance in obvious shock and stumbled back and kneeled and held the small tea table for support. And he started crying out loud and yelled, "NO, no, no…"_

 _And it took almost ten minutes to calm himself and when he did he stopped eventually he looked at them with pure malice and said, "All these years, everything was a lie, from the very first day it was a lie? You and Dumbledore arranged for our meeting in King's Cross that day when I was eleven. You were the one who jokingly suggested to the twins to get me from the Dursleys via Arthur's flying car during my second year, putting ideas in their heads so that I can spend time here and so that I will learn to trust you. You spoke with Arthur that day in Leaky Cauldron even after knowing that I was listening into your conversation, so that I will hate Sirius during my third year. You bought that horrid dress robes out for me knowing that no girl will consider going out with me, so eventually that I will settle for Ginny to the ball. You and Dumbledore made sure that I never bonded with Sirius during my stay in Grimmauld place in my fifth year, with you being there with all your children during Christmas and before. You tormented Sirius with all of your nagging and you destroyed him of his self-worth as a godfather, so that I will stay with the Dursleys or at the Burrows. You were the one who suggested to Dumbledore that I stay in the Burrows, so that I you can slip potions into my food and instilling doubt in my mind for feelings regarding Ginny during my sixth year. And you and your filthy daughter kept dosing me with 'Confusing Concoctions' and 'Twilight Moonbeams' for the last two years to keep me sated and tied to your family." He stopped his ranting and glared at them coldly with morose filled eyes._

" _ALL OF THIS FOR WHAT? MONEY? FAME? I would have gladly given you both everything I owned for one day with a family that truly loves me. One day with my parents who would have loved me unconditionally and unreservedly without expecting anything from me in return." He finished in a sad voice, while tears still falling from his eyes._

 _He turned towards Ginny and pointed his wand at her shakily and said in a dead tone with no emotion, "Legillimens…" He said in a tone barely above a whisper. This time when he broke the connection he didn't stumble or wasn't surprised of what he saw._

" _You were the reason why everyone hated me in my fourth year after when my name came up from the 'Goblet of Fire' as the fourth champion for the Triwizard tournament, so that you could appear as a friend, as a balm hoping that I would notice you. You were the one who spun stories and circulated via the rumour mill, but you couldn't convince Hermione didn't you? You were the one who told Cho about me having something more with Hermione and planted doubt in her mind and broke up my date and a possible relationship. Your potions were the reason why I felt jealousy for Dean when he started being publicly affectionate towards you; you used my inability to understand emotions and played a rather clever game. So for the last two years you instilled into me that you were important in my life, so that I will marry you and settle down." He finished just like he began in a very dead hollow tone._

" _When were you going to stop dosing me with these potions? After we married..., after a few children, after a hundred years of married life…?" He asked with a latent anger in his voice._

" _You disgust me!" He shouted at her._

 _All of his anger, pain, betrayal and every other strong emotion resurfaced, but he immediately decided to dash upstairs and packed everything in his trunk. He did this in order to stop himself from murdering those two Weasley females in cold blood and just as he finished packing everything he walked down and saw that Arthur was waking up from being stunned by him. He didn't spare another glance and he opened the door and he walked out of the wretched house as fast as he can and when he crossed the wards around the house, he disapparated away with a popping noise._

* * *

The memory ended and Hermione who was sitting in front of him looked at him in absolute shock, as she couldn't believe what she just saw. Ginny and Molly doing that to Harry was something she never would've imagined and she couldn't even comprehend the idea of the two Weasley females almost destroying something Harry always wanted and wished for, 'a family'. Hermione jumped into his arms and hugged him as tightly as possible and started crying while she mumbled into his shoulder and before he could ask what she said she pulled apart lightly, but unknowingly settling on his lap.

"I am sorry, Harry." She said truly regretting her decision to ask him what the problem was.

"For what Hermione..?" He asked her curiously.

"For not being there when you needed me the most. I am sorry for not giving you the luxury of doubt when the Weasleys spun stories about you betraying them, for not believing in you and for doubting you. Will you ever forgive me?" She asked as if she was almost scared to ask.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for... It happened a long time ago, something I locked out as a bad memory." He replied dispassionately.

"How did you get over something like that?" She asked him concernedly while also awed with his ability. She also knew that if Harry was taking this lightly then there must have something happened to him that was much more gruesome than this, but she decided not to ask him about it now.

"You can never really get over it, Hermione. You are lucky if you can get past it." He said with a sad smile that wrenched her heart. She immediately buried her head into his chest and they both sat there for how long they didn't know. Harry's heart was pounding faster than ever before and he felt like his heart would jump out of his chest, because of his close proximity with Hermione was making him rather nervous and jittery, but he held his own even if it was just barely.

"Hermione, I really don't mind this position, but I really need to go to the loo." He said almost blushing, but internally he felt like he wanted to slam his head into the wall for ruining the moment and not enjoying it. Meanwhile Hermione was blushing madly as she realized their position; she was straddling his hips in a sensual manner while using the chair Harry was sitting on as support. She immediately pushed herself away and stood up and turned around to hide her blush, _'for god's sake you are acting like a love stricken teenager get a grip woman',_ she yelled to herself internally.

Harry stood up and went to the lavatory that appeared to the side of the room. And when he came back he nodded at her, but kept his head down and he took his bag and walked out of the room, while Hermione quietly followed.

* * *

 _ **Gringotts-**_

Albus Dumbledore was in a particularly bad mood, because he was not satisfied with his decision. He thought helping Sirius getting exonerated would give him a very valuable Order member and many other resources would become available to him. And subtly pointing out flaws in Black's character would have been easy and it would have effectively kept Harry away from Sirius's guardianship and still open to his manipulations. This would have helped him place Harry with the Weasleys and eventually Molly would have used the opportunity to set Harry with her youngest daughter and the Weasleys would have gotten enough money and shares of various commerce companies the Potters possessed, as promised.

Everything was fine until an hour ago when the goblins denied him access to Harry's vaults and funds. The goblins informed him that according to contingency plans set by one Lily Potter regarding the Potter family vaults that once Harry reaches the age eleven that a specific set of rules came into effect. It was obvious to him that Lily's plan was to prevent Harry from abusing the power over the vaults and to keep Harry from using too much money in his spending, but that was what put a wrench into his plans; Lily out of good intentions ruined his plans of controlling Harry.

Albus didn't know that there were such contingencies in place for the Potter family vaults. And the goblins weren't exactly forthcoming with the information regarding such other schemes that are still in effect placed by Lily or James. And much to his chagrin the goblins also told him that the key for Harry's vault that he possessed will no longer work and that he had to return the key as it will have to be destroyed for security reasons. When he demanded why he was not informed of this development the goblins just reminded him that he was neither Harry Potter nor one of the peoples mentioned in the Potter family will, so they found no reason to inform him.

Little did Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore know that he was being continuously outplayed by one Harrison James Potter? Harry kept his involvement in the entire issue under tight wraps that, so much that even the great Albus Dumbledore was deceived. Albus was initially suspicious about Harry's involvement in the problem, so he asked to the representative goblin, "Does Harry Potter knows about this?"

"No!" The goblin simply stated coolly and impassively.

"Why?" Albus asked a little relieved, but still he was suspicious and he had to make sure.

"None of our ways to communicate with Mr. Potter are working at the moment, but once we contact him we will inform him about this development." The goblin replied impassively.

For the first time in the last hour Albus Dumbledore was relieved that Harry was still in the dark and he believed this, because to him Harry was still a teenage boy so with this kind of knowledge Harry will try to show off like any other teenager does. But he also needed to keep it this way and move with what he has at the moment or else it would not be good for him.

"Can I inform Mr. Potter of this myself?" He asked to the goblin and the said goblin shook his head negatively.

"It is against the protocols of the Bank." The goblin replied with a sneer.

"I will be representing Mr. Harry Potter from now on, as I am his magical guardian and you will inform me of everything that happens with the vaults." Dumbledore said impassively, because he needed to regain control over the situation before it is too late.

"That is not possible, unless and until you have authorized permit from the current owner of the vaults to grant you access." The goblin replied and he frowned at the goblin.

Albus was not happy with this; he will have to find a way to get Harry and Harry's vaults under his control. But he also knew that this has to happen with the boy's permission or else things will not go according to plan. Going to Harry and asking him permission to access Harry's vaults was not an option, because that does not even qualify as futile and besides the boy needs to trust him. He needed to find a way for that and he promised himself that he will find it.

Harry and Hermione were heading to their common room after their awkward discussion, but suddenly a letter flew to him out of nowhere and levitated in front of him. He carefully took the letter in his hand and turned out to find the Goblin seal etched with red wax. He opened the letter carefully and started reading.

* * *

 _Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _Mr. Potter we inform you that today afternoon at 03:54, your family vaults was tried to be accessed by your magical guardian Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. And according to your contingency plan that you placed this summer, we were able to tackle the problem with the rules and conditions in your clause of instructions. As according to your request we kept your entire involvement a secret, but we do hope that our business will be profitable on both of our sides. And we expect a fair tax for our services._

 _Representative of Goblin bank,_

 _Rotfang_

* * *

"That meddling old goat…" He cursed just as soon as he finished reading the letter.

"Language, Harry." Hermione reprimanded him and he gave a look which conveyed 'seriously'.

"What does the letter say and from whom is it?" Hermione asked curiously.

He simply handed the letter to her and she took it and started reading and when she finished, "That meddling old goat…" She too cursed and he let out a hearty chuckle.

"How can he try to access your vault? This is preposterous, Harry." She said looking at him.  
And she wasn't surprised when he didn't even look fazed by this development.

"Well it is not the first time he has tried this…" He simply replied as if it was the norm.

"You have to do something about this, Harry" she suggested the most logical option.

"There is no point in trying to fix something that isn't broken, Hermione. Dumbledore cannot access my vault, because I've safeguarded it carefully and the best course of action is to let him think that I have nothing to do with this, so when the time comes we will have something to bargain with…" He pointed out the benefits of doing nothing at the moment and the reward of patience. Hermione nodded accepting the answer, because Harry logic was sound, but something was troubling her.

"Harry, you said that this wasn't the first time, what did you mean by that statement?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"That day at Gringotts your father said that I had a little over a hundred and seventy million Galleons in my vault, right?" He asked her and to which she gave a nod, but it still baffled her to think that Harry was that much wealthy and he wore hand-me-down rags, last time around.

"After the war, when I got complete access to my vaults, I combined them all to a single vault. And when I checked the contents, there were a little over eighteen million Galleons left…" He said and Hermione looked in shock and horror, as she pieced together the possibility of 'the Order' robbing Harry's vaults.

"Bu… b, but!" She stammered and he spoke for her.

"Baffling right?" He asked and she nodded again dumbly.

"It was like everyone knew about everything I had and made use of it, except me." He replied coolly.

"Don't worry everything will be just fine. This time around I will not let them meddle with my business like they did last time around." He said and she nodded in agreement.

"Come on let's go, we have homework to do..." He said and stood expectantly with a sheepish grin on his face. Hermione smiled as she saw this and walked to the Gryffindor tower pulling him by his hand.

* * *

 _ **December-**_

Weeks passed quickly and Harry was astonished by the change that Hermione brought to their schedule. Hermione stopped questioning about his social life and didn't care how he spent his time, but instead they started spending more time together and he wasn't complaining, they talked and laughed and as a result they became much more comfortable with each other. It was Friday evening so they were free after their fourth class and they spent the entire afternoon in the library referring a lot of books for their homework. And they were currently in the common room finishing off all their homework for the upcoming days, so that they can be free for the next two days as it was the last Hogsmeade weekend before the holidays.

He noticed that Hermione was glaring at Ginny every time the redheaded girl was in the immediate vicinity and this happened a lot, because he has seen Hermione doing this during breakfast, lunch and dinner and honestly he was getting tired of this, a little. Meanwhile Hermione was furious at Ginny, because after seeing the incident first hand she immediately knew that Ginny and Molly deceived her into thinking that Harry was at fault for what happened. She was told that Harry was caught cheating with another girl and when asked he abused Ginny and ran away, and also it did not help that a few days later when Ron tried to confront Harry, he was injured in a fist fight with Harry in a pub and ended up in St. Mungo's for a few weeks. And after that she didn't see Harry for years and at first she didn't believe this, but as years passed, she slowly started believing, so now she felt ashamed that she succumbed to their reasoning. When she finally returned to concentrate at her homework, she saw that Harry was staring at her obviously amused by her actions.

"Why are you staring at me, Harry?" Hermione asked a little irritated and he chuckled at her pout.

"You don't have to glare at Ginny you know; I have put the entire issue behind me, Hermione." He assured her again softly.

"I know, it is just that after that 'incident' you spent the next decade running and hiding and fighting and surviving, while she just snagged a famous wealthy Quidditch player and settled down, it is unforgivable of what she did to you. And do you know what kind of stories that they spun with this?" Hermione asked him clearly angry, but not at him, more at herself.

"I have a base idea of what kind of stories they said about me, because Dromeda might have mentioned it to me once or twice." He replied to her carelessly.

"Who is Dromeda?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"Tonks's mother Andromeda, Teddy's Grandmother, I called her Dromeda." He clarified her doubt.

"Sorry, I rarely met her…" Hermione said a little disappointed.

"Well I adopted an ideology that says that 'whatever you do today doesn't matter when comes the day that you will reap what you sowed'. Ginny and everyone who meant to harm others will suffer the consequences for what they did one day, until that day comes they are just cattle fattened up for slaughter, aren't they?" He spoke in a sagely manner and Hermione laughed at his antics.

"When did you become so philosophical Harry?" She chuckled and slapped his hand.

"Well you know ten years of living on your own will make you a philosophical sage…of sorts." He said in a sarcastic tone and she giggled at it too.

"Hermione I have been meaning to ask you this, can I come with you to your house this Christmas break?" He asked with a tinge of reluctance in his voice.

"Of course you can, what kind of question is that?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Oh, I will write a letter to my parents tomorrow and ask for permission, besides they wouldn't even mind you being there, because they have been asking me to bring you for the entirety of last year. We can have so much fun, I can show you so many things and maybe we can even go on a trip." Hermione started ranting and he was struggling to contain his chuckling with little success.

Hermione pouted when she found him chuckling at her rant and rave and a little later she too laughed again lightly. And after completing their homework and they went to sleep after all the next day was going to be an exhausting day.

* * *

 _ **Owlery-**_

She and Harry were going to the Owlery to send a letter to the Grangers to ask for permission for Harry to stay with them for this Christmas break. When they reached there they saw many owls that were making sounds and fighting for communicating, but Hedwig the queen of the Owlery was perching majestically with no owl nearby.

"Come here girl." He called out to Hedwig. And the snowy white owl sat on his arm and gave a hoot while nipped his ear happily.

Harry got the letter from Hermione and tied it to Hedwig's leg and said, "I want you take this to Hermione's parents and wait for them to give a reply…" When he finished he gave some owl treat and when Hedwig finished eating she gave a hoot and flew away.

"Well we have to wait for their reply, so can we go to Hogsmeade." He asked her happily.

"I was about to suggest the same thing, Harry. Let's enjoy!" Hermione said and they walked out of the Owlery.

* * *

 _ **Sunday Evening-**_

Hermione was already packed as the next day she would be going home for Christmas. She after long discussion got Harry to pack, because she was positive that her parents wouldn't mind him coming to their home, but she was a little worried because her parents haven't written a letter back to her. Suddenly a snowy white owl came and sat on her window perch and Hedwig had a letter tied to her leg, she immediately took the letter and read it and wasn't surprised to see that her parents agreed to her request.

She immediately dashed to the common room and found very few people sitting, so she just dashed to Harry's dorm room and opened it to find that Harry was already packed and was getting ready for a shower.

"Harry, my parents have agreed to let you stay, so we are set to go tomorrow." Hermione said and he gave a warm smile.

"It's great and all, but I am going to take a shower, so…" He said and her face flushed and she ran out of his dorm.

* * *

 _ **Next day-**_

Harry and Hermione were both in a carriage headed towards Hogsmeade to board the train. It was Christmas break and quite a few students were going home, so the number of carriages was a lot. With that they reached Hogsmeade and boarded the train and he lifted both his and her trunks and set it in and settled in a seat and just in time, the train let a whistle and moved and they were off to London.

While both Harry and Hermione were looking forward to the break, to enjoy with the people you like.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took so long, it was a little busy around here, so couldn't write another chapter. And I am taking the advice to describe thing with finer details, so forgive me if my previous chapters weren't up to the mark. And as usual I appreciate the critics and reviews, really helps and don't worry I will cover many things in the upcoming chapters like visiting the chamber and many other things.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now, as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Express-**_

Harry and Hermione were sitting in a compartment simply enjoying each other's companies. The compartment was a little cold as it was snowing outside; there was an unseen smile on both of their faces. Harry was wearing a grey t-shirt with blue jeans and a thick brown jacket and a blue woollen scarf around his neck. He was a happy that he was going to spend his holidays with the Grangers and if the opportunity presents itself, he may also be able to visit Sirius.

Hermione was wearing a thick frock with a cream colour tops and a thick woollen jumper and a woollen cap. She was excited to go home for the break, because for the first time she was bringing a friend to her house rather than going to visit others' families. And as a bonus Harry was in good terms with her parents, because this time around her previous self became friends with Harry on the very first day of school. As a child she was bullied due to her high intellect and studious, law abiding attitude, hence she had no friends in her primary school, and as a result she found refuge in her parents and teachers. Her parents were scared that she would never fit anywhere in the world, and the occasional stints of accidental magic did not help either. They were a little sceptical when they fancied the thought of sending her to Hogwarts, but eventually they settled on the belief that, maybe she will fit in better in the magical world than the mundane. When her previous/younger self, became friends with Harry on the very first day, both of her parents were excited that she was finally fitting in somewhere. And eventually when she wrote about Harry in her letters, and also about a few other friends that she made due to her constant trips to the library, they wholeheartedly agreed that she was destined to be a witch.

Hermione was a brilliant thinker, she thought about many things and right now she had a few questions that troubled her and she needed answers. Hermione's face took a serious expression which was almost business-like, so she took her wand out and said, "Colloportus!" on the door and secured it so that none shall interrupt on to their conversation. "Muffliato…" She then cast a sound shielding charm and made a dome around them, so that none shall eavesdrop on them.

Harry meanwhile furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her curiously. "Harry, I have been meaning to ask you a few things. What are we going to do about the Horcruxes?" Hermione turned to look at him with calculating eyes.

Harry sat in silence thinking all the while slightly keeping his head down, "I haven't really thought about it yet." He finally looked at her and answered her honestly.

"What? Harry we can destroy those things, so much earlier with that Goblin-made Dagger of yours." Hermione said slightly shocked, while a look of confusion marred her face which then transformed into a pointed look.

"Currently, the only ones we have access to are 'Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem' and 'Salazar Slytherin's Locket', and the others are out of our reach for now…" He shifted slightly in his seat under her gaze as he averted his eyes from hers.

"We could make the necessary arrangements to get the others, Harry." Hermione bit her lower lips, as she went to thinking pose, musing into what Harry was trying to hide.

"No, not yet anyway, but we will eventually." Harry replied not wanting to go into any details, by keeping his face as impassive as possible, because she was biting her lower lip and that was driving him barmy.

"Harry, if we destroy the Horcruxes now then we can stop Voldemort from ever resurrecting again." Hermione was not looking forward to another war, as the first one was painful and traumatic enough.

"Okay, what happens when we eliminate Voldemort?" Harry sighed as he was now sure that he will have to answer honestly and explain to her about his plan.

"We will be rid of a catastrophe…" Hermione replied in an obvious tone, as she was confused about why Harry would ask her this at all.

"No Hermione, I didn't mean that. I mean what happens to the 'Wizarding Society of Britain', if we destroy Voldemort before he comes back to life?" Harry started his explanation with a question.

"Nothing, I assume…" Hermione said unsurely, unsure of where Harry was heading with this.

"Exactly Hermione, nothing will change. At this moment, purebloods are literally in charge, they will never let the muggleborns and half-bloods to rise into positions of power. They will keep the muggleborns and half-bloods suppressed with their influence, and they will keep deceiving them with the myths of opportunity, like they are doing now. If this happens, the next fifty years will be exactly the same as the last fifty years. Purebloods will never go down in power and half-bloods and muggleborns will forever be sated with what they have, not wanting to lose the few things they now have…" Harry explained impassively as he wanted to get this over with, because Hermione needed to know this before he went any further.

And before Hermione could retaliate to his claims he continued, "Dumbledore, who is keeping the balance in power at the moment, will die eventually and the muggleborns and half-bloods will feel abandoned. After that, they will retaliate to the purebloods' authority having had enough of their rule, and as a result, a wizarding civil war will begin. If the war spills into the non-magical world, they will find out about the existence of magical world…, and then all the mysterious cases of abnormal events they currently have as unsolved will be solved. If they connect the dots, and they will…, they will fight back and you do know what happens that if the issue metastasizes further. They may even consider using nuclear weapons, because we do not have a nuclear deterrent on our side. And all the other countries will follow through with the general idea of magical people being dangerous. And before you ask me, the non-magicals will think of us an evolved form of the species and they will assume themselves as our less evolved kin. The entire world will become involved in this clutter…it will become a war between species." Harry explained seriously as he revealed his fears to Hermione.

Meanwhile Hermione was in deep thought, everything Harry said was a definite possibility and she couldn't see a solution to this either. "Harry after Dumbledore, you can keep the peace and maybe even pass some laws with your influence and keep the purebloods at bay." Hermione suggested seriously.

"Yes, for that I would need influence and power and that cannot happen if we kill Voldemort silently. And the image of the boy-who-lived will not be enough either. My solution to this scenario is much more definitive in nature, if we imprison all the purebloods who side with Voldemort, after we deal with him, of course. Then most of the authority positions in our community will be vacant, at that point, and we will be able to keep a close watch on all the families. And eventually filling the posts with talented muggleborns and halfbloods would be enough to start the path to peace, equality and change." Harry reasoned with Hermione and she nodded in return, because it was a better plan than hers.

"Harry, but we will be deliberately putting all those lives in danger, if we let Voldemort come back while starting a revolution in the process." Hermione frowned, because her ethics was not letting her to make such decisions.

"Revolution in a community like ours, is inevitable, it'll happen one way or another, now or at another point in time, in the future. But, if we frame this war and portray it as pretence for a revolution…, then we're looking at a revolution with an almost predictable outcome and we can end an era of conflict and by doing so we can maybe put a stop to another unnecessary war that may occur in the future. And before you complain, I agree with your worries. Yes, it is a gamble, but a gamble that I am sure that I can win." Harry replied strongly, as he was confident that they can pull this off.

"And besides, I have all kind of safety plans and contingencies for substantially reducing the cost of lives, Hermione. Please…Hermione, all I am asking for, is for you to trust me with this..." He leaned forward and looked straight into her eyes and then he requested her sincerely and she in return nodded with difficulty.

There was a short silence between them, which she was using to grasp the eventuality which will most likely become a reality and she was trying her best to coming to terms with it.

"Okay coming back to the original topic. We do not know where Helga Hufflepuff's cup is, because we don't know when Bellatrix deposited it in her vault. Gaunt's ring is in the Gaunt's Shack, but we will let Dumbledore deal with it, just like last time..." But before he could continue, Hermione interrupted him.

"Why should Dumbledore handle that? And besides from what you have told me, Dumbledore doesn't even have proof that Voldemort has indeed created Horcruxes. Because you told me that you destroyed the diary in the 'Chamber of Secrets', so it didn't go to Dumbledore's hands, so he doesn't know. Yes, he suspects it of course, but he doesn't have any proof to back up his own doubts." Hermione was clearly unhappy about it as she frowned spitefully.

"Dumbledore is not a type of person to let his suspicions fade away that easily, Hermione. He will find some way to prove his theory, I'm sure of it, and besides he has all the proof he needs, right here." He looked at her with arched eyebrows and pointed his scar on his forehead with his pointer finger.

"But Harry without the 'Sword of Godric Gryffindor' coated in the Basilisk's venom, how will he destroy it, when he does come across the Gaunt's ring?" Hermione was now frowning at him she leaned forward slightly to meet his gaze's intensity.

"Dumbledore is a Master Alchemist, I'm sure he will find a way…" Harry clearly wasn't worried about what happens to Dumbledore or how the meddling fool handles his problems.

"Why are you so unconcerned about what happens to Dumbledore?" She said in shock that Harry wouldn't care about Dumbledore's life.

"I'm concerned about the future of the wizarding world, so the welfare of one man who thinks that he knows what's best for everyone is not on top of my list of priorities." Harry replied dispassionately, while not meeting her gaze.

"Harry…." Hermione began, but she was interrupted him with a sigh.

"Hermione, Dumbledore is the one who told me that the needs of the many outweigh then needs of a few. He micromanaged my entire life and also planned for my future, how I live, where I live and with whom I live was all planned by him. You honestly don't expect me to care for this man, do you?" Harry said enraged with his jaws clenching while he gnashed his teeth together lightly.

Once again Hermione was shocked by what Harry said, but what caught her attention was what Harry said by 'with whom I live'. "Harry, you don't mean that Dumbledore tried to set you up with Ginny, right?"

Harry sighed exasperatedly at his slip, he saw no way but to come clean about it, so he replied, "Yes, I assume that he did… Dumbledore and Molly, both made a marriage contract binding me and Ginny to it, on condition that we are officially considered married when both Ginny and I come of age."

"But that's impossible, because if you were binded with her then Ginny couldn't have married that Robin Prince whom she met during her Quidditch tour around Europe. The marriage bond between them wouldn't have formed, if that were the case." Hermione reasoned trying to refute his claim, but from the way she was scrunching her face in deep thought it was obvious that she was anticipating a valid reason from him.

"As I am the last heir of the Potter family, the contract can only be made permanent by my parents or my legal guardians. So whatever contracts Dumbledore made in accordance to me, as my magical guardian would have become nullified on his death." Harry explained to Hermione, while her mouth slight hung agape in shock.

"Why would Dumbledore go to such lengths to control your life Harry?" Hermione asked him still trying to accept the fact that Albus Dumbledore wasn't looking out for Harry's best interest.

"I honestly don't know what his reasons are for what he did, Hermione, the only thing I can come up with is due to his ideology called, 'the greater good'. And besides I don't care either…" He relaxed into his seat and stretched his arms to soothe his muscles.

Suddenly a thought struck Hermione and she went still while everything fell into place. She sat still for a few minutes and suddenly started crying, as she hid her face with her palms. He was startled by this and he immediately moved to sit beside her and he tried to calm her by holding a soothing hand to her shoulder so to find what caused her sudden reaction. His calming methods weren't working so he pulled her into a tight embrace and ran soothing circles to her back and let her calm down on her own. She cried into his shoulder for quite a while and eventually she calmed down and she pulled apart little and looked at him, straight into his eyes and asked hesitantly.

"Harry, is there a possibility that maybe Ronald dosed me with potions like Ginny did to you?" She was still staring into his eyes, but it was obvious that she really didn't want to know the answer to her question.

Harry sighed as a grim expression occupied his face, because he expected this question from her eventually and he knew that he cannot give her an answer without risking the friendship that was keeping him sane. "Yes, that is entirely possible, but you shouldn't think like that, the memories of a daughter who brought you so much happiness are real. He may have used potions to get your attention and win your heart, but you loved him genuinely and when Rose came into your life your love only increased, until the abuse began of course."

"What aren't you telling me Harry?" Hermione looked in shock as she realized that he knew many things that he was not telling her. She asked him seriously with a tear stricken face while staring into his eyes with a gaze that penetrated into his very soul.

"I will tell you, but please give me some time. I don't need much, just a few months…please?" He asked in a dispassionate yet impassive tone.

She nodded reluctantly and laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat and he kissed on top of head and tightly hugged and they both sat there for a long time. Finally when he pulled apart only to find her asleep in his hands and he gently laid her on the seat and moved to sit across her and watched her breathing and smiled fondly.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts (Headmaster's Office)-**_

"Severus things are not going very well at the moment." Dumbledore was standing near the pensieve with a grim expression while slightly stirring the silvery liquid with his wand.

"James and Lily safeguarded their family vault so tight that we cannot even channel a single Knut from their family vaults to our cause unless we have Harry's blood authenticated authorization." This made Severus Snape to scowl, but his reason for the scowl was different. Every time Dumbledore said 'their family' his scowl only increased. Severus Snape hated James Potter with passion, initially because of his rivalry and then for getting the girl he loved and now he hated his rival's son Harry Potter with the exact same passion. He never wished for the boy to be alive, all he wished for was Lily to survive, while he didn't care if James and Harry perished, because then he could have married her and had a family with her without her husband's or her son's interference.

Severus hated Harry Potter for many reasons; firstly the boy was talented in Transfiguration and 'Defence Against Dark Arts' just like his father, and also due to the subtle pride that the boy held for his own talents. And secondly, the boy also inherited his mother's talent in Potions and Charms; the boy's talent in the art of potion making was prodigious, so much that it even surpassed his skills at that age by miles. And from what Lucius Malfoy had told him, the boy has inherited his father's arrogance and it was verified by his godson Draco's claims and he agreed wholeheartedly. And what made this all worse was the smile that Harry Potter usually sported; the smile reminded him of James Potter's own smile while he began dating Lily Evans who was the characteristic equivalent to the current generation Hermione Granger. And he was also envious of the boy's talent in Occulumency, because during first year he had difficulty finding the boy's mind as it was almost invisible, but now he can't detect anything about the boy's mind even while maintaining direct eye to eye contact. He was envious of this, because he for one spent most of his school years and another decade building up such impeccable mental defences, but the boy was able to master it within a couple of years. Severus Snape hated Harry Potter with all his heart and there was no possibility of him having Harry Potter's best interest at heart, in any case.

"What are you going to do Albus?" Snape scowled as he sat in his chair facing a pacing Dumbledore.

"We need Harry's trust and we should get it, whatever it takes…" Dumbledore suggested impassively simply like it was the most obvious thing to do, as he stopped before his pensieve cabinet.

"How Albus, you are the one who told me that he doesn't trust you?" Severus furrowed his eyebrow quizzically as he slowly stood up from his chair.

"Yes, Severus, he doesn't trust me, but he obviously trusts Sirius Black." Dumbledore said with a sly smile on his face.

Snape picked up on it quite quickly and he agreed with the Headmaster's suggestion wholeheartedly and gave a shrewd smile, "I agree Albus, maybe we should achieve what we want, with the help of Black, but not letting him know of course, maybe we can even use Miss Granger."

"No, Miss Granger is too close with Harry, so if she starts acting differently out of the blue then Harry will get suspicious. The chances are quite high that he connects it to us and if that happens, then we're both buggered…" Dumbledore reasoned carefully. And Snape nodded in agreement with his usual sneer on his face, so they agreed to manipulate or compel Sirius Black.

"In the meantime, I'll try to acquire the necessary funds in some other way." Dumbledore added to his most trusted spy.

Both manipulative wizards were happy with their next course of action and both were glad to be working together to attain their next target. But what they didn't know was that fate had other plans for one Sirius Black and they were interfering with fate's plan without knowing about the consequences.

* * *

 _ **King's Cross-**_

The Hogwarts Express stopped at King's Cross and he slowly stood up and stretched himself. His gaze fell on the sleeping form of Hermione Granger and he smiled softly and he slowly caught hold of her shoulder and shook her awake. Hermione on the other hand was having a much needed sleep, because due to her excitement she didn't sleep quite well last night. And she was dreaming of a few interesting things about Harry, when he shook her awake.

"Hermione, we are here." He said to her and she looked up groggily and slowly sat up with a moan, as she heard what Harry said.

"When did we arrive?" She was rubbing her face with her palms to get over the grogginess and she pouted cutely at him.

"Not long Hermione. A few minutes maybe…" Harry was almost disappointed that he cannot watch her sleeping, but that disappointment immediately went away when he saw her cute pout.

Harry turned and slowly brought both of their trunks down and set them on the ground carefully. Hermione had a heavy backpack and a huge trunk and he was wise enough to bring his only suitcase. His suitcase was as big as a house, because it had four individual compartments all under 'extension charm' and the suitcase in its entirety was under a 'feather-light charm'. He swung Hermione's backpack on his back and then he lifted her trunk in his right hand, while he took his suitcase in his left and then he undid the 'locking charm' and 'silencing charm' that was on the door, he did it both wandlessly and nonverbally, with that he walked out the compartment. Hermione composed herself and then she followed him out, as they were walking she noticed that Harry was carrying everything.

"Harry, can I have my trunk and backpack back?" Hermione was uncomfortable with Harry carrying everything for her. Harry and Hermione slowly stepped down from the train and as they started walking, Harry turned to her and spoke.

"Hermione, you are still a little tired, I can tell... Just let me carry this at least to your car." Harry was trying to make a good impression on the elder Grangers, because they were going to house him for the next few days and he didn't want his stay to be unpleasant. Hermione meanwhile was thinking of how observant Harry was and it was frustrating to see that Harry didn't look the least bit uncomfortable with carrying them.

They slowly walked through the barrier to the other side to see both the elder Grangers waiting for them to come. He saw both Emma and Dan waiting for them and just as they saw him and Hermione, a huge smile graced their lips and Emma Granger walked forward quickly hugged Hermione. Dan walked to him and gave a firm handshake and a pat on his back and smiled at him and he smiled back at the older man.

After the pleasantries Hermione and Harry headed to the car, a fifth generation Ford Escort, it was Mrs. Granger's car. He helped Mr. Granger get Hermione's trunk into the boot of the car and he got in to sit beside Hermione.

"How was school, sweetie?" Emma Granger was half expecting that Hermione to hint that Harry was finally noticing her as more, but she was slightly disappointed when Hermione started to ramble.

"It's been great mum. The beginning of year was a little shoddy when Harry was attacked by a Dementor. By a Dementor mother, if it wasn't for Professor Lupin's quick thinking, Harry could have been kissed. Then it got better, Harry and I took the same electives, so we don't have to go separate classes. Yes, our work load is a little tight, because we are learning ten subjects, but we are managing it. Arithmancy is a little difficult like transfiguration, but we have no problem at all. We have also started physical training mother and Harry is teaching me martial arts, so to better defend myself. So this year is going great mum…" Hermione was so excited that she missed that she was actually rambling. Hermione Granger was going to be spending time with Harry Potter this Christmas with her parents, life couldn't be any better for her.

Dan and Emma understood that Hermione was excited a little more than usual, which they assumed due to Harry's presence. Dan was happy that Harry was finally going to spend time with them at home, because he wanted introduce a lot of things to the boy. Emma was more interested in what kind of relationship that her daughter and Harry would grow up into, because it was quite obvious to her that both were quite smitten to each other.

* * *

 _ **Granger Residence-**_

After an hour and thirty minutes later they reached Copthorne near Crawley W. Sussex. On their way home Mr. Granger showed them the Golf club, then Dan promised to take him during summer. Emma and Hermione both rolled their eyes when Dan suggested the trip to the Golf club, but they were both surprised when Harry agreed almost instantly. They reached the Granger house via M23, but there was little traffic which delayed them, but they reached safely.

It was a moderate two story house nothing too fancy, but it felt like a perfect home. There was quite some space around the house and there were shrubs on the sides, but everything was covered in snow, still he couldn't tell if they were well maintained. He saw that the driveway and pavement needed shovelling, so he put that in mind. After unloading the trunks, he and Hermione followed Emma into the house while Mr. Granger moved the car into the garage and closed the garage door.

"Sweetie, show Harry his room upstairs and help him unpack, then both of you come down and join in for lunch." Emma was excited to learn about Harry. She wanted to know what Harry felt for her daughter, because from a parent's point of view she could see that Harry's way walking and talking all suggested that he was being both protective and possessive of her daughter.

Hermione skipped up the stairs with Harry's suitcase, while Harry followed behind her with Hermione's trunk. Hermione led him into a room which was painted in baby pink, which had a few bookshelves, a study table, a walk-in wardrobe, with an attached bathroom and a bed which too was in baby pink colour and the bed was covered in pillows and teddy bears.

"Lovely…" Harry said sarcastically. Harry was absolutely livid about the very thought of living in such a room, but he was broken out of his musing with Hermione's laughter.

Hermione was trying to control her laughing, because it was funny how Harry's face scrunched in mild revulsion when he assumed that this was his room. "This is my room, silly. Let us set my trunk in here and go to your room."

"That's a relief." Harry muttered and shook his head to get the picture of sleeping in a pink bed out of his head.

With that Harry set Hermione's trunk down near her walk-in wardrobe and made his way to the next room. This one was painted in royal blue, with a study table, empty shelves and it was of the exact same set up of Hermione's room, but the bed was regular without any streamers. Harry was more than grateful with the setup and he was a little excited about the entire situation of living in a room near Hermione's.

"This room was supposed to be my brother's, but my mother had a miscarriage after the first few months due to a complication. My father set this room up for the future, but he didn't bring this down." Hermione said a little sadly.

"I am sorry, Hermione…" Harry understood the sadness of never having a possibility of another sibling, so he didn't find it right to push anything out of her. And besides he already knew the whole story from Daniel who told him everything during the weeks he stayed with them in Australia.

"Its fine, Harry… So, how do you like the room?" She was thinking of the possibility of research she could do with Harry being nearby and being willing to study.

"It's brilliant." He remarked with a bright smile.

Harry simply walked in and placed his suitcase on the bed and opened it and Hermione was surprised to find four large spaces. One of the compartments was filled with books, the second one was for clothes and third one was filled with many of Harry's equipment and personal items and the final one was for stationary and plans and research notes. He checked for a few minutes and then simply closed the suitcase and headed out.

They reached downstairs and found that the table was set and Mrs. Granger was setting the food hurriedly, so he decided to give her a helping hand.

"No Harry, you are our guest, so sit down and eat." Emma wasn't going to stand by and let Harry work in the kitchen, so she shooed him to the table.

The lunch was delicious and Mr. Granger told him everything about the Golf club and his membership when he asked, much to the chagrin of Hermione and Emma. As they were all finishing their lunch and when he started helping Emma to clean up the table again to the chagrin of Mrs. Granger, she asked them.

"What are you both going to do for this break?" Emma Granger was under the impression that the children would have some plans, but to her surprise both children looked blank.

"Honestly mum, we don't know. We didn't plan anything actually; it was kind of a last minute decision." Hermione answered honestly. Dan looked in deep thought and suddenly an idea popped in his head.

"Well in that case, this break is for you both to relax. You can both watch some movies and get away from the reading and school stuff." Dan suggested casually, as he really wanted his princess to put a stop to the reading and enjoy this break with them.

"I agree with your father, sweetie." Emma added when she saw the appalled look in Hermione's face and the confused look in Harry's face.

Harry chuckled at the expression that marred Hermione's face and Dan was equally amused, but both instantly shut up when a glare from Hermione was directed at them.

"So, it is set then…" Emma said and went to clean the dishes, while he began helping.

* * *

 _ **Christmas Shopping-**_

The next few days passed away much too soon for his own liking. Every morning he would wake up early and cook something for breakfast and when the Grangers come down they will have something delicious to eat. After that he would help Mr. Granger in shovelling out the snow from the garage entrance. Once both Mr and Mrs. Granger go to work, he and Hermione would complete their respective homework with the help of his private library. He taught her a few 'long-lasting charms' that were developed in the future for purely household purposes, but much more effective than what they have now. But they would stop all that before the elder Grangers come back home and they would relax. It was two days before Christmas and he knew that it was best to make the trip to Diagon Alley now, because he needed to buy them presents.

One afternoon when Hermione was having a kip, he apparated to the front of Leaky Cauldron in Charing Cross road and entered the pub which was crowded. He was under 'glamour', so nobody recognized him. He walked through the pub and reached the wall that led into Diagon Alley and tapped the brick wall five times with his wand in a three to top and two down motions. He went into the Alley and headed straight to the Carkitt Market, from there he made his way to 'Stowe and Packers Magical Bags'.

The door of the shop had a small bell tied to it, so as soon as he opened the door, it rang and another shopkeeper came to greet him. There were few other customers who were browsing through the trunks and looking at its specifications.

"I am in need of a trunk with extension charm and multiple compartments and it also must weigh light…" He said to the shopkeeper and the said shopkeeper just nodded at him.

The shopkeeper led him to a secluded corner and showed him a few varieties of Trunks, but they were all too big and they looked rather old, so he figured that the shopkeeper was trying to sell him the cheap ones.

"Sir, I can pay high prices." He said shortly. He gave a peering look and stood rigidly and the shopkeeper understood and led him to a better looking trunks.

The shopkeeper took a small dark brown trunk the size of suitcase, but a little longer and thicker and said, "This one has seven compartments all under extension charms and the trunk itself is weightless and it also has a few security options that would make it difficult for anyone to open it, other than the one who it is keyed to."

"I will take it. How much does it cost?" Harry wanted to buy this to Hermione, because she could very well keep all of her books inside this and it will be fairly easy for her to carry it with her, wherever she went.

"35 Galleons…" The shopkeeper said uncertainly still doubting if he could pay.

He in turn took the money and paid the man without a second thought and took the trunk and walked out leaving an astonished shopkeeper. He stuffed the new trunk in his bottomless bag and made his way to the 'Eeylops Owl Emporium'.

He entered the shop and just as soon as he entered a tingling sensation passed over him. He ignored this and walked to the desk and was about to ask the employee, but suddenly the shop's manager came to him and greeted. The manager was a tall but fat man who was wearing an obviously expensive suit.

"Mr. Potter, how can we help you?" The manager asked him and he was shocked that his glamour wore off, so he unconsciously touched his face and the manager understood.

"Sorry Mr. Potter, the owls feel uncomfortable around people with charms that actively radiate magic on them when in close proximity. So the shop's wards washes off any mild charms when one enters the shop." The manager spoke in a pleasing manner, but at the same time he reasoned seeing his confused look and obviously unasked question.

"I wanted to be anonymous you know, not wanting to be mobbed by anyone." Harry said to the manager and the man completely understood him and led him away from the other customers.

"What kind of owl do you prefer, Mr. Potter?" The manager was business when it comes to selling merchandise.

"I want a screech owl, big enough to carry packages and fast too…" He gave his specifications to the man. Hermione's parents were obviously distressed that they cannot contact Hermione unless until she sends them a letter, so he decided to buy them an owl for Christmas.

The manager of the shop showed him three owls, which were big but not too big and at the same time lean and strong. Finally after ten minutes he bought a white and brown feathered one which looked friendly than the others.

"I also need an owl stand and a box of owl treats…" He said and the manager immediately brought him a metal stand and a box of owl treats. Then he placed the stand and the cage with the owl inside into his bottomless bag.

"That will be 23 Galleons and 7 Sickles…" The man said and he simply paid the shopkeeper and walked out.

After that he made similar trips to 'Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop' there he stocked a few pranking items and then to 'Twilfitt and Tatting's' to buy some clothes for Sirius. Then he went to 'Flourish and Blotts' to install into Hermione's new trunk a private library and also to buy a few expensive books on Herbology for Neville. Then he ventured into Britain to buy something interesting for Luna and finally he settled on quite a few muggle travel guides which she asked him about. After that he apparated back to the Granger household and had a bath before a short kip before the elder Grangers came home.

* * *

 _ **Christmas Morning-**_

Harry was fast asleep and was dreaming pleasant dreams about a bushy haired, brown eyed witch, but was woken up by an enthusiastic Hermione Granger who was sitting up in his bed.

"Harry, wake up, wake up, WAKE UP." Hermione shook him awake quite strongly.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked in a less than enthusiastic groan.

"Come on, Harry. It's Christmas… It's time for gifts!" Hermione was almost jumping in joy. That's when he realized that he wasn't wearing his shirt.

"Hermione, can you…give me some privacy?" He asked hesitantly while trying very hard not to blush.

Hermione immediately understood what was going on and a blush crept into her face, but she hid it and immediately got up and walked out of the room. He chuckled and got up and freshened himself quickly and got out of the room and headed downstairs, only to find all the Grangers awake.

"Happy Christmas, Harry…!" Emma and Dan instantly greeted him and gave him a hug.

Harry greeted back and returned the hug and also wished Hermione and gave her a hug and it was time for the presents.

Mr and Mrs. Granger presented Hermione with a personal computer equipped with Windows 3.0 which she had already expected, because from what she remembered last time. But to his surprise they presented him an 'hp Omnibook 300', which he didn't know how to react to, as he stood there stunned into a stuttering blithering idiot. Hermione presented him with a set of stationaries from both muggle and magical and also an advanced 'Charms Book' and he really appreciated the charm book.

"Hermione, this is my gift to you…" he pointed to the new trunk near the fireplace. She opened the trunk and found seven separate compartments and one of the compartments was set up like a private library.

She jumped into his arms and gave him a kiss to his cheek and to his amazement neither Dan nor Emma said anything they just smiled. He just stood there stiff and stunned and he summoned the best impassive face he could put up, but to the Grangers it was obvious that he was feeling something.

He walked to the corner behind the back door of the house and opened the window and whistled. Then he walked to his right and grabbed nothing and pulled only to find a metal stand with an empty cage hanging on it, in the corner of the room. While he stood there smiling with his invisibility cloak in his hand and suddenly a brown screech owl with a white face flew through the window and sat on his shoulder.

"This is my gift to you Mr and Mrs. Granger, now you can send Hermione letter whenever you want…" He stood there smiling for a second. After the initial shock Emma and Dan took turns and hugged him deeply. He saw it from the very first day that both the elder Grangers missed Hermione too much, as they did their best to spend as much as time possible with her. It was only logical that he gave them something that would let them communicate with her.

Just as they were having breakfast, a knock distracted them. He looked at the back door window to find a brown barn owl waiting to be let in with a package. He walked over to the window and opened it and let the owl come in. The owl came in and put the package down gently and held out its leg and when he looked closely he saw a letter tied to the leg addressed to him. He untied the knot and took the letter and read.

* * *

 _Hey Prongslet,_

 _I hope you are well. I also heard from Moony that you lost the last Quidditch match against that Malfoy boy. Hence I thought that maybe you would need to be a tad bit faster. And I loved your present by the way and also those muggle cosmetic products really help with the make-up than the 'glamour charms'. So this is my Christmas present to you pup._

 _From you loving Godfather,_

 _Padfoot_

 _P.S Amelia says that within the end of the year that I will become a free man. I can almost taste the freedom, pup. See you this summer._

* * *

He smiled after reading the letter, because he had a good idea of what the gift might be. He carefully opened the present and found the black Firebolt broom, but unlike last time there was some additional customization in it, a slight handle bar for better grip and the foot holder was slightly angled in for a better position. An uncontrollable grin came to his face and he wasn't trying to hide it at all either.

Hermione meanwhile who was watching Harry smiled at the firebolt broom, because last time she technically compromised her friendship over this broom. But now she was spending her Christmas with her parents and Harry who looked genuinely happy to be with her and her parents.

"Who is it from, Harry?" Emma asked curiously as she was surprised to find a funny looking broom to be sent as a gift.

"It's from my Godfather Sirius, Mrs. Granger. He sent me a brand new racing broom for my next Quidditch match." Even if it wasn't the first time he has seen this broom, it still excited him.

"Racing broom?" Emma inquired while scrunching her face funnily.

"Emma, you can't be serious? Harry and I have been talking about Harry's Quidditch skills for almost every breakfast now." Dan asked staggered to find that her wife had been missing out on interesting conversations like Quidditch.

"Dan apart from serious things, all you talk about is sports, so I might have tuned out a little." Emma replied nonchalantly not making much of it anyway.

"Unlike your cosmetic products, my hobby is healthier…" Dan said out loud causing both the elder Grangers to bicker among themselves.

The next few days went by just as same, but he had some interesting conversations with Hermione. They conversed about many of his plans, and then they made solid plans and also made paperwork just in case and then coded it and uploaded it into Hermione's computer. He was expecting an interesting conversation from Hermione and he was right to expect it.

"Harry, we have to talk…" Hermione said as she sat beside him on the loveseat heavily and he instinctively switched off the Telly.

"Okay, what is it this time?" He questioned in an amused tone, but when he noticed that she was serious, he became impassive.

"I have been thinking Harry. All of our plans work in the basis of that our memories of the future will come to encompass again, right?" She asked him and he nodded after a moment's thought.

"Hermione, we don't have any reason to believe that the events will change drastically, because we did not change anything much to affect them." He reasoned immediately sensing her obvious question.

"Harry, you handled Quirrell very quietly and also prevented him from knowing about your blood protection. So Voldemort will not require your blood to make the ritual, Harry. And for all we know, he might even come back early and if that happens then none of our contingency plans will be ready in time." Hermione voiced one of her concerns to him.

"That is why we compensated the stress of the change by handing over Pettigrew to Madam Bones. If Voldemort doesn't have anyone to help him make the potions, then the possibility of an early resurrection is definitely reduced, isn't it?" He reasoned with her again while keeping a straight face.

Hermione stood from the couch and was about to lecture him about being careless but he interrupted her. "But you are right; we can't just rule out the possibility of this happening, so what is your plan for countering this?" He asked her with a hint of smile. Hermione smiled in return as she found that Harry wasn't just ignoring her warning and instead taking it seriously.

"I was thinking about getting a time-turner to correct the mistakes that we may commit if the possibility of correcting it is within a five hours' reach. And I was also thinking about recreating our time-warp charm, so that if we need to correct the mistakes that we may have committed unknowingly years back, then it will come in handy." Hermione suggested and his eyes widened beyond proportions when he considered the number of applications this methodology will provide them with.

"But…Hermione didn't you say that it will take time for the time-space to re-stabilize after each distortion we create with the charm." He asked her as that particular piece of detail came to his mind.

"Harry, by my calculations, it will take two and a half years or maybe even three for the stabilization process to complete on its own. So after that period of that specific time we can use the charm again safely." Hermione filled his doubts with data and he was convinced that it was a good plan.

"Okay, I will also make some arrangements to acquire us a time-turner." He said to her and began thinking of ways to gain the materials which he required.

"Hermione, I wanted to ask you something last time, but I couldn't because we we're already _preoccupied_ with many things. Maybe after _all_ of this we can go to a University together unlike going to work in the ministry?" Harry was hesitant to suggest this, because he didn't know how Hermione would react.

After a short silence between them Hermione squealed, "That's a great idea, Harry. I always wanted to go to college, but last time you know that we were all tired after the war and everything, so I didn't want to burden anyone. And Ron would have thrown a temper tantrum if I had suggested this then…" Hermione replied and her smile never faltered.

A huge lopsided grin came to his face, "Okay, if we are going to University, then we will need knowledge to keep up with all the other students. Thus, maybe we can cover the non-magical school curriculum, as we already know most of what is in the subjects that are taught in Hogwarts."

"Then I will make a schedule for us to follow and keep up with our portions in school, but we would need books regarding muggle science and mathematics." Hermione began thinking, but he replied for her.

"Don't worry; I can get the required books and also regarding all the things that we would need…" He immediately eased her mind. Then they both sat in a comfortable silence, but a few minutes later Hermione asked something she originally wanted to ask, but almost forgot.

"Harry, the actual reason for why I wanted to talk to you about the time beacon was that I need a few Occulumency methods to remember the numbers to recreate the runic circle. Even if my memory is excellent, I cannot recall or remember that many numbers in data form. If we recreate this charm successfully then we can even work on improving it to its maximum capability…" Hermione was excited about the possibility of improving it and making her creation flawless.

"Okay, I can teach you a few techniques. When shall we begin?" He asked, quite happy to help her in any way he can.

"I was thinking about now…" Hermione asked and he was surprised, but then he chuckled and sat facing her and began instructing.

* * *

 _ **King's Cross (Two Days Later)-**_

Harry was genuinely sad that this little break came to an end, but both Dan and Emma reassured him in every way that he was invited in their house anytime. And fortunately he wisely used the remaining days to buy all the mundane world's textbooks and he stowed them all in his trunk.

Harry and Hermione both walked into the barrier with only their suitcases and in Hermione's case an additional backpack. Harry and Hermione both got a hug and a kiss from Emma and he got a hug and firm handshake from Dan.

With that they both walked into the Barrier and reached into Platform nine and three quarters. And almost half an hour later the train moved and they were off to Hogwarts. While they unknowingly sat in the compartment with their hands intertwined with each other's.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took so long, but I had some pressing work and it will only get worse from here and I promise you that I will try my level best to update as soon as possible. Thank you all for the support that you have shown me till now. Critics and Reviews are appreciated.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance and it will not happen until the end of third year. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be Weasley bashing and minor Dumbledore bashing but eventual truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now as I was suspicious if this story would even get any reviews and I am sorry if I disappointed you anywhere.**

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts-**_

Ginerva Molly Weasley just had the worst Christmas holiday ever. First it began when _her_ Harry went away with one Hermione Granger the resident bookworm to spend the Christmas with her family. Secondly, the twins pulled pranks on her and Ron non-stop from the beginning to the end of the Christmas break; as a result she spent most of her time in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey. Most annoyingly Peeves took an interest in her and threw ink pellets at her whenever she walked in the corridors, she was attacked so much that her red hair was mostly seen as blue.

Ginny Weasley hated Hermione Jean Granger with a passion, for she took away what was rightfully hers, for she took away Harry Potter from her. But she was determined to get him back from the bookworm by any means necessary, but she was wise enough to know that she cannot make Harry interested in her _now_. Her shyness made it impossible to even talk to him in public, and it was only her very first obstacle and there were many others other than just that. What she could do is to get Harry Potter away from the bookworm and earn his friendship, so in a couple of years she will make him notice her as something more than as just another girl.

Ronald Weasley utterly and undoubtedly despised Harry Potter, because Harry Potter broke off his friendship with him in the end of their first year and Potter got everything he wanted. Harry had money, fame and also a girl to have a way with even if she was ugly, she was enough for him to build sexual experience and eventually use that to impress other pretty girls. But he himself considered Harry a genius, because of how he thought Harry used Hermione Granger the resident bookworm's friendship. And the most blatant betrayal of it all was that they lost their last Quidditch match to Slytherin and still no one blamed Harry Potter for it, because for him it was very obvious that the only reason they lost was, because of Harry Potter's incompetence. And now Harry Potter was back from his Christmas break with a brand new customized firebolt, the fastest broom in the world, which ended up being even faster and well balanced due to the additional customization. Hence he was very sure that he had every right to be angry with Harry, but what the fool never understood was that he was the one in fault, because of his own views on world things, for instance he thought of women as things and not as his fellow people to respect.

Currently Harry was having his breakfast in the great hall, while Hermione was busy berating the Weasley twins. "I can't believe you two, you both lost more points than what we gained for the last few months since school began. And on top of that you both did all this within a span of ten days." Hermione sputtered at the twins while looking unhappy.

"Let them be, Hermione. I'm sure that we all can gain back any points they lost if we work hard enough and besides they are the next generation Marauders, so it is imperative that they pull off as many pranks as possible…" Harry said with a chuckle while he was spreading butter on his toast, but he made sure to avoid meeting Hermione's gaze for the fear of getting chewed out. Hermione huffed and sat down to continue her breakfast, while giving him a pointed look which only made him chuckle more.

"Marauders, Harry?" Fred began with a doubtful, but curious expression.

"Who are they?" And George finished his brother's question.

"You haven't heard about the Marauder's reputation from Professor McGonagall?" He asked feigning a shocked look. This only further endeared the attention of the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan and a few others who were listening into the conversation.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, have you heard of them?" He asked seriously. The Twins' and Lee's eyes widened considerably and they looked at him in awe.

"Prongs, was the nickname of my father James Potter. Moony, is our current defence teacher Remus Lupin, Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew and Padfoot was one other person." Harry was proud to explain the part of Marauders to the twins. But there was an ulterior motive for this, because he knew how much the Marauder's map helped him in the future and he needed it to keep an eye on _things_.

"We are unworthy to stand in your shadow…."

"….Oh the Noble heir of the Noble Marauders." The twins started worshiping him and he let a long sigh with a dry chuckle.

"Maybe I can introduce you to the one other Marauder this summer…" He whispered to the twins and they looked as if Christmas has come earlier despite the fact that it only passed away.

Hermione looked unhappy about the whole thing of him flaunting the Marauders' name, but he gave her a reassuring look that somewhat calmed her. After breakfast they went straight to the Library to search about Animagi transformations, and as it was Thursday so they had time for their first class, which was Arithmancy. After spending quite some time in the Library, he and Hermione headed to the third floor for their Arithmancy class.

"Potter…" As Harry and Hermione were walking up to the classroom they were interrupted by someone. They were both genuinely surprised when they turned to find Daphne Greengrass of all people standing there with her impassive icy persona.

Daphne Greengrass was a beautiful blonde haired girl with a curvaceous figure and her beauty was something girls sought after, while boys would drool over on a daily basis. She was a pureblood Slytherin and like any other pureblood in her house she too was brought up by the ideal that purebloods were of higher status than the muggleborns. Roughly two years ago when she joined Hogwarts, she like every other purebloods in her house supported the discrimination of muggleborns. But when Tracey Davies a half-blood witch befriended her she understood the grief of how her friend's mother was disowned when her friend's mother fell in love and married a muggleborn wizard. After that she started seeing the world in a different light and for the first time she noticed how high and mighty Draco Malfoy and other children of fellow pureblood families acted in school and how Snape supported their own house and blatantly disregarded anything evident brought by students from the other houses. She finally understood that she too was acting the same way and she realized that it was a wrong way to act. Eventually by the end of her second year she came to the undeniable fact that half-bloods and muggleborns weren't any different than them. They were just as talented and just as magical and just as human, but still they were considered rubbish due to some superiority complex and misguided prejudices that the pureblood families possessed. Daphne always was a level-headed and intelligent girl, so she made her own decisions when it came to situations of importance; as such she decided that it was bad to treat muggleborns and half-bloods differently. But she couldn't do anything to outright support them, because that would make her a social outcast within her own house and she had an image to maintain.

Like all pureblood magical children, she too grew up hearing the stories and adventures of the great Harry Potter. She was under the illusion that Harry Potter the heir of the Potter family was a rich pureblood like her and he was of the same age as her, so she hoped that she could befriend him easily. But to her utter surprise she saw a small, thin unassuming half-blood boy wearing hand-me-down rags for clothes and a pair of glasses looking at everything with curious eyes in their first year. Since then she watched him closely and observed him carefully and what she found surprised her. She found Harry as a humble boy, but with a hidden brilliance that almost made her feel like a young child looking at an adult. Harry was nothing like what she expected him to be, but was also unlike everything her 'head of house' claimed him to be. He wasn't arrogant or high headed or proud, but at the same time he was far from normal, he possessed a brilliance that cannot be perceived easily and unknowingly Harry's humble brilliance allured her to him.

She knew that she wasn't perfect and also knew that she had insecurities like every other girl of her age, but she was proud and her pride led her to believe that showing weakness wasn't a good thing. Hence she patented a cold and impassive behavioural pattern that earned her the name 'Slytherin's Ice Queen', but somehow Harry Potter made her doubt her own way of thinking without even having a single conversation with her.

"Potter, can I have a word with you in private?" Daphne walked to him and when she was a few feets away from him she stopped and said indifferently, while giving Hermione a pointed look.

Harry was unsure of how to proceed with this, because nothing like this happened to him the last time around. Harry looked at Hermione for some insight, but she looked equally puzzled with this development, so she stared back at him unsurely.

Finally he shrugged and turned to face Daphne and said, "Okay." With a nod he followed behind her to the nearby classroom. They entered the classroom 3C and just as soon as he entered, Daphne closed the room and locked it and placed a 'silencing charm' around the room and turned to look at him.

"Potter, I would like you to take me to Hogsmeade for the next Hogsmeade weekend…" Daphne said in the same indifferent tone, while maintaining her ice queen persona. Harry being stunned in shock was a huge understatement, meanwhile Hermione was listening into all this via a 'monitoring charm' on Harry's neck which she subtly planted when he turned. A scowl came to Hermione's face after hearing Daphne Greengrass's first statement, while only one thought went through her mind, _"Who does she think she is…?"_

"Like…a date?" He furrowed his eyebrows and asked her to clarify that she was actually suggesting what he thought she did.

"Yes." Daphne said still upholding her impassive look on her face, whilst her tone was steady with no residual emotions in it.

"Daphne, I'll be honest with you. I don't know you and besides why do you want me take you to Hogsmeade? I bet you have loads of friends who will all love to go with you…" Harry asked her unsure of how to continue this conversation, so he decided to resort to Legilimency.

"I want to get to know you, Harry Potter." Daphne kept her face controlled and steady, but he wasn't fooled, because his Legilimency skills were top notch and it was indicating that she was being evasive.

"If you want to get to know me then all you have to do is be my friend." Harry frowned unconsciously when he said that. He suggested this, because he was getting uncomfortable with the fact of having a date with Daphne Greengrass, while he was working so diligently to impress one Hermione Granger.

"No, if I wanted to be your friend then I would have approached you on the very first day of school in our first year, Potter. I want to get to know you as more than a friend…" Daphne felt nervousness when she uttered the last statement, but she kept her impassiveness both in her tone and face. Meanwhile Hermione who was listening carefully into the conversation felt like she wanted to burst into the room and beat the Greengrass girl senseless. Hermione herself was carefully thinking of different ways to tell Harry how she felt about him. But she was waiting patiently, because she needed to know about his life after war a little more in detail before she could proceed. Because she wanted to help heal Harry's mental wounds that he was so desperately trying to hide from her and by doing so ensure that they indeed have a future.

Harry wasn't surprised in the least, when she said that she wanted to get to know him as more than a friend, because he already read her mind which was difficult, but not impossible. Daphne had Occulumency training prior to her school life, but her mental constructs weren't strong enough, so reading it wasn't a difficult task, but reading her thoughts without alerting her was indeed difficult. Harry turned around not looking at her and he questioned her, "Do you want to get to know the Harry Potter or the Boy-who-lived?"

"What's the difference, Potter?" Daphne questioned him with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Is there a difference between 'The Ice Queen of Slytherin' and 'Daphne Greengrass'?" He asked her back and to this Daphne looked shocked for a brief moment, but she schooled her features immediately.

"No, both are the same person." Daphne replied by saying it in a literal meaning to derail him from the real question he asked her, but his Legilimency knew of this instantly.

"Don't lie to me, Daphne. The Ice Queen of Slytherin is a persona created by yourself to hide your insecurities, a mask that you designed yourself for you to conceal behind, so to prevent yourself from damaging your value. What you didn't expect when you created that persona/mask was that people endorsing your attitude. And eventually none even saw who the real Daphne Greengrass was…did they?" Harry told everything that he read from her mind. Daphne couldn't answer back, because everything he said about her was true.

"That is exactly how I feel, Daphne. People call me the 'boy-who-lived' and praise me or want to be acquainted with me for what? They praise me for something I don't even remember of, for something I regret. They don't know the difference between Harry Potter and the Boy-who-lived and they never will, the boy-who-lived is a persona created by the people for me, but it is not me, both literally and figuratively." Harry explained to her in detail, because she needed to understand that he didn't need or want girlfriends, but friends. Daphne for the first time scrunched her face in deep thought breaking her impassiveness and after a long minute of silence she nodded slightly.

"Potter, then can I be you friend?" Daphne asked almost hesitantly and he gave a nod in return, "…but do not expect me to give up my fantasy." Daphne finished looking a little disappointedly.

"I am not asking you give up on anything Daphne, but my request to you is that don't keep building it up." Harry's answer was decisive with this and he gave her a brotherly smile.

"And if you are my friend then call me Harry, so none of the 'Potter' business."

With that he turned around to face her and walked passed her to reach for the door, but was interrupted when Daphne asked, "Do you love her that much?" Harry was stunned, but recovered quickly and he saw no way to escape this question.

"Yes, I do…" Harry's reply was self-explanatory, so she nodded in resignation. And with that he opened the room's door and walked out and Daphne followed behind him. They saw Hermione pacing around the door while waiting for them, so before they could ask anything Hermione asked.

Meanwhile Hermione wanted to jump in joy when he said that he loved very much, it was one thing to guess his feelings for her, but hearing him say it out loud was quite another. But she had to be convincing that she didn't know what they were talking about, so she started pacing back and forth in front of the door to look like a nervous wreck. She turned to look at the pair and gave a smile towards Harry and turned to Daphne with a cold stare.

"What did she want?" Hermione asked with a sneer while giving Daphne a pointed glare. Daphne was not in a good mood, because she was just turned down by the boy she fancied over a bookworm and now the same bookworm was giving her a condescending look, so she returned the glare in full force. For the moment Harry was enjoying every bit of Hermione's possessiveness towards him.

"Nothing of much concern…" He said and she nodded, while not believing him fully, but he gave her a reassuring look that eased her.

"You are invited in our study session Daphne and you can bring some friends over too, but not Draco or some pureblood maniacs…." He said with a chuckle and Daphne nodded impassively while Hermione was still glaring daggers towards Daphne which she was returning back.

"We better head for class; we have already wasted enough time…, Harry." Daphne said and started walking while he and Hermione followed behind her for their Arithmancy class neither noticing the nervousness portrayed on Daphne's face when she uttered his name.

* * *

 _ **D.A.D.A Classroom-**_

Harry was thinking about the last few days when Daphne started joining them during their study sessions in the Library to finish her own homework and also to help them with their lessons. Normally their study session consisted of him and Hermione helping Neville and Luna with their schoolwork. Luna was happy to be with them as they were the only friends she had and both Harry and Hermione were natural teachers, so learning potions and transfiguration with them was much easier, effective and fun. Neville liked the study sessions, because it kept his grades up since their first year and as a result his Grandmother never once has scolded him when it came to his grades. He always had problems with spell casting, but Harry repeatedly told him that it was due to his wand being his father's, but he didn't want to stop using it, because it was a connection to his parents and Harry never pushed him either.

Initially Daphne was surprised to see a group of misfits when she first saw the study group, but she wasn't blind to the skills the group displayed and possessed. And she has seen it first-hand how frightening Lovegood can be with her hexes, because she has witnessed the girl delivering a stinging hex to a boy's groin just because the said boy tried to bully her. She knew the group was very secretive, because it took her an entire year to find that the group actively used illusions and notice-me-not charms during their sessions in the Library. And she also knew the effectiveness of their precaution, because none of the students of any age knew anything about the study group or its sessions. But she was beyond impressed when their practical session began, yesterday. Harry corrected her standard duelling stances at first, and then completely obliterated her defence like it didn't even exist and told her that her stances didn't matter in the least when in reality. Even Neville Longbottom who was still considered a squib in her house and the one in the study group with the least set of skills disarmed her before she could even react. But fortunately for her everybody accepted her without issues and even Granger did and she could only assume that it was Harry's doing. She was looking forward for her practical session today which was promised to be an outdoor trip and she also decided to bring Tracey with her.

Harry was musing as the door opened breaking him out of the trance and he noticed that Remus was standing there smiling at him. "Harry, we will go to the Astronomy classroom for our session…" Remus said and stepped out of the D.A.D.A classroom and locked it with his key. Then Remus walked towards the Astronomy classroom and they chatted with each other on the way.

They both reached the Astronomy classroom and Remus opened the door and walked inside while he followed in behind him. Remus set the human spine shaped candles and lit them on different spots just like he remembered it from last time and then Remus began.

"Harry, before we go into learning this charm. I must warn you that what I am about to teach you is ridiculously advanced, even far beyond the N.E.W.T level. You must be extremely careful in using this charm and do not attempt to use it without someone qualified to supervise you unless and until you have completely mastered it." Remus warned Harry, because it was necessary that Harry understood the complexity of the charm that he was about to learn.

"Shall we begin?" Remus asked and he nodded with a smile of excitement (faked).

"A Patronus is a kind of a positive force, and for the wizard who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it rather than him. In order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory… Allow it to fill you up… lose yourself in it… then speak the incantation 'Expecto Patronum'." Harry slowly closed his eyes and started thinking of a collection of memories. Harry imagined the smiling image of his parents holding his baby self, laughing image of Sirius and Remus, the image of his true friends and then the image of Hermione in her periwinkle colour Yule ball dress. Finally he was sure that he would be able to cast the Patronus, because he was sure that he can project his happiness out through his Patronus. And he wanted to succeed in it in his very first attempt and impress Remus for a plan in the future.

"Ready?" Remus asked his permission to let the Boggart out of the box and he gave a nod and tightened the grip on his wand. Remus gave a wave with his hand and the chest opened and the Dementor (transformed Boggart) came out flying with black mist surrounding it.

Harry stared at the form for a few seconds and waved the wand in a circular motion and he said, "Expecto Patronum…" And with that he pulled the magic from his core and pushed it through his wand. The magic reacted to his emotions that were slaved to his happiest memories and intent, while the confidence that he possessed due to the knowledge that he _can_ cast the spell was enough.

A thin wisp of silvery white mist that emitted a bright white light came out from the tip of his wand. The wisp like mist took its shape into a semi spherical shield that diverged outside to prevent the Boggart from advancing onto him. The light blinded him from seeing the Boggart being repelled away, but he could sense the creature being stuck. He slowly pushed the boggart downwards back into the chest and Remus immediately closed the lid and locked the chest.

"Well done Harry, well done." Remus gave a single clap and laughed out loud.

"You would have given your father a run for his money and that is saying something." Remus was beyond impressed and that was an understatement of the century. Thirteen year old wizard creating an Incorporeal Patronus on their very first try was both practically and theoretically unheard of, he was so proud of his student while being genuinely happy that he was able to help Harry.

Remus gave him a piece of chocolate, "Eat, it really helps." Remus said as he saw that Harry's breathing was slightly hitched. Harry was doing his best to act like he did the last time around, but he wasn't really surprised when he successfully cast the charm, but acting like it was hard.

"For the record, what memory did you choose, Harry?" Remus asked as his curiosity got the best of him.

"Not a memory Professor, a collection of memories. I was thinking of mum, dad, you, Sirius, my friends and Hermione. That was enough to cheer me up…" Harry smile widely while he sat on the steps and Remus sat beside him with a smile of his own.

"Harry, you remind me so much of your mother Lily, while you look more like James. You Harry, you embody the best from both of them and I'm proud to call you my student." Remus exclaimed while putting his hand over his shoulder and giving a squeeze. While he was enjoying the closeness that Remus provided and it was moments like this that reminded him that his parents never really left him.

"Thank you, Remus." He said with a bright smile.

* * *

 _ **Quidditch-**_

That weekend Gryffindor's second match of the season which was against Ravenclaw came up, Slytherin lost against Hufflepuff and Hufflepuff again won their match against Ravenclaw. So at the moment Hufflepuff was at the top with the most number of points, while they were with the least, but he was sure that they could win this match without that much trouble. Wood wanted to keep the Inter-house cup this year too, because that would give him enough reputation when he goes into professional Quidditch career. As a result they worked non-stop on various strategies to secure a victory with the highest margin in points. His job was to delay the match, so they can score as much points as possible and also to keep Cho Chang away from the snitch at all times, and when the snitch is nowhere to be found he was instructed to assist the twins in causing utter pandemonium against the Ravenclaw team's defensive position. But he had a better idea and he suggested it to Oliver that he would take care of Ravenclaw's Seeker and will keep her out of the game. Oliver Wood relented at first, but then agreed with him, but also told him to consider that only if their team's situation was dire.

The game came just as expected and both the teams took their respective positions around the pitch. Cho took her position straight in front and was giving him a sensual smile, which would have made butterflies fly inside his stomach the last time around, but now it was amusing at best. Cho simply let her hair to fly in the gusting wind; it was obvious that she was trying to distract him by showing off her charms. And from the groans and moans he heard from the crowd (mainly boys) in the stands, it was definitely working for other boys, but not him.

The whistle blew and their team went into defensive positions while he went for the snitch which was flying near the base of the stands. Seeing this Cho followed him and he wasn't using his full speed with his brand new firebolt, just so that Cho could keep up with him. They were both after the snitch flying side by side around the pitch in circles while he was just a bit ahead of her and whenever she tried to cut across him he would ruin it picking up speed.

Meanwhile everyone in the stands were wondering why Harry would be playing around with Cho instead of catching the snitch.

"Blimey, that tosser doesn't even know how to use the full speed of his firebolt. Pathetic, it will be better if he just gives it to someone else on the team who could actually benefit from it." Ronald said out loud with his jealousy getting to his head, while not noticing the murderous glare directed towards him from Hermione and the stares everyone around were giving him.

Harry was using his Passive Legilimency to induce anger and frustration into Cho Chang's preoccupied mind. Passive Legilimency was something a Master Legilimens would attempt to do without maintaining direct eye contact, but the person has to be in range or close proximity respective to the wizard's magical strength or other magical circumstances. That was why Harry was flying beside her other than before her, because he needed to be in close proximity for his technique to work. This wouldn't have bothered him this much if he were anywhere else, but flying, dodging bludgers, chasing snitches and Legilimency was just too many for him to multitask efficiently. Finally after his five minute flight Cho got frustrated enough for him to spike her anger to dangerous levels and as a result she tried to ram him from the side, but he put firebolt's 'unbreakable braking charm' to use and stopped immediately. And the end result was that Cho losing control and slamming herself to the side of the stands and fell down to the ground dislocating her shoulder and was out of the match.

He simply raised his right hand over his head and gave a sideways thumbs-up to Oliver. And Oliver Wood smiled and gave a nod to him and signalled his fellow teammates to move to plan B and Gryffindor went into assault.

Now the only one who can end the game was him and the snitch would be his no matter what, so for the entirety of next hour their team worked on scoring a hundred and fifty points. But the Ravenclaw's put up a really good game as by then end of the hour they stood at 150 to 90 points still with them leading by sixty points. So finally an hour and half later Oliver signalled him to end the game and he caught the snitch fairly easily and ended the game with 300 to 90 points with 210 points lead.

The match put them just above Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but below Hufflepuffs in the score table. Eventually everything came to one last chance in their match against the Hufflepuff which they would have to score and win with a huge margin, because the Hufflepuffs were so far ahead in points, or else they would lose the cup this year.

* * *

 _ **Sunday (Morning)-**_

Both Harry and Hermione were done with their morning exercise and martial arts practice. Their martial practice consisted of him teaching Hermione how to counter and attack against basic brawlers with no specific style, which he did by sparring with her. Now a days Harry almost never held back on her and he put her through a brutal grinder called training, because Hermione once complained that he was holding back on her intentionally so not to hurt her badly while they are sparring. Apart from that, he also had a dream of Hermione being overpowered by death eaters and from then onwards he never held back on her. And this turned out to be a good thing, because this gave him the opportunity to practice healing magic wandlessly and healing spells non-verbally with wand. During which he noticed that his Holly wand was finally reacting to his mental commands and both his wand core and wand wood was cooperating. But his Blackthorn wand was still restraining his mental commands when he practiced consecutive spells for duelling, but worked for him quite flawlessly when it wasn't under his pressure.

Right now he was standing outside leaning on the base of the Quidditch stand waiting for Hermione and the others to join him for their excursion trip to Hagrid's hut who would escort them into the Forbidden forest for their practical session. This was a normal occurrence for them, because it was Luna who suggested this due to her enthusiasm learning about Magical creatures and they did it on every Sunday, but this time Daphne Greengrass will be joining with them.

Luna was no longer the weird little girl who made no sense to anyone when she spoke, she changed drastically because now as she had a steady group of friends who never abandoned her. Turns out this was all that she actually needed for her to act like a girl of her age, but the most interesting part was that she still displayed her vibrant personality quirks from time to time. Initially both Harry and Hermione accepted Luna into their group wholeheartedly while it took a bit longer for Neville, but eventually he too accepted Luna for who she was.

Neville wasn't the shy plump boy who scored average marks and who messed things in his potions class anymore. Now Neville was more confident in his abilities and he accepted that he had a talent for Herbology and pursued his dreams regarding with that. This was due to Harry's and Hermione's constant support with his goals and dreams while his Grandmother's strictness kept him in line. But Neville had a bad habit which was that he usually hung out with Ron, Dean and Seamus which prodded him to pick up Ron's habits of carelessness both material and time wise. Harry hung out with both Dean and Seamus on regular basis too, but Ron didn't want to do anything with Harry much to the chagrin of his other dormmates. And Neville never hung out with them in public when they all sat together for lunch or dinner except when Harry was alone; this was due to Ron's dislike to Harry and Hermione as Neville told them. At the same time, Neville was extremely loyal to them and never uttered a single word about them to anyone not even to Ron and the others. He was broken out of his musing when he saw Hermione walking towards from a distance.

"How long were you waiting?" Hermione scrunched her face cutely while she withdrew her lips. Meanwhile it took his entire self-control just not to trap her between his arms and snog her senselessly, but he regained his thoughts back and replied with a warm smile.

"Not long."

But he immediately turned his gaze to look at a group of students who were walking towards them. Neville, Luna and Daphne with another girl he didn't expect were there with them, she was Tracey Davies. Hermione gave him a glance, but he gave her a reassuring smile and gave her hand a squeeze and she shrugged and nodded. He walked forward moving away from Hermione and stood in order to welcome the new comer.

Tracey Davis was a brunette haired half-blood witch from Slytherin house. She was ambitious and mischievous, but she was good natured and was a flirt. Tracey was more interested in boys than her studies, but usually did very well in her subjects when she needed to and to keep up with her best friend Daphne.

"Hello, Harry." Daphne greeted him with her usual impassive cold exterior.

"Hi Daphne and who is your friend?" Harry gave her a smile and nod.

"This is Tracey, she is my best friend." Daphne introduced her to them and he decided to do the same.

"Hi." Tracey said comfortably with the warmth of the crowd.

"Hello Tracey, I am Harry." He said and pointed to his friends and said, "This is Neville, Luna and my best friend, Hermione." Neville, Luna and Hermione smiled at the new comer.

"Hi, I, I…., is Neville Longbottom." The slightly plump boy said a little nervously with a stutter.

"Hello everyone…!" Luna was dreaming about having a lot of friends with a usual dreamy look.

"Hello Tracey, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione greeted and gave her a hand which they shook.

"Ok, now the pleasantries are out of the way, we will begin the day's activities." He said and started walking towards Hagrid's hut. And when Hermione came beside him, he caught her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers; he did this because the brunette new comer was giving him some sultry looks and this was the perfect chance to hold hands with Hermione and give a comfortable reason if she asked. Meanwhile Hermione was out of breath when Harry caught hold of her hand, but didn't try to retrieve it nor did she want him to let go. Both Daphne and Tracey noticed this and a frown marred their faces, but Neville and Luna didn't because they were both quite behind the others and were busy with their conversation about trolls.

"What do you normally do on this day?" Tracey asked them trying to converse with Harry.

"First we go to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid will take us to the Forbidden Forest to show us one of his magical creatures and we learn about it and record every detail about it in our record book that we maintain. After that we will go to the lake so Neville and Luna can collect their herb samples, while we usually relax." Hermione replied to the question while Tracey looked disappointed that Harry didn't answer while Daphne just frowned a little more.

"Why these two places?" Daphne furrowed her brows while looking at them speculatively.

"Learning about magical creatures can only been done in the Forbidden forest under the supervision of Hagrid, while most of the herbs can be found to be grown near the lake which has the most fertile and fecund soil suitable for herb growth." Hermione replied whereas both the Slytherin girls looked thoughtful.

"Why do you do this? How long have you been doing this?" Tracey was normally a curious girl, but today she was a little more observant.

"We started this session just after Hermione's birthday this year. Usually our study session consisted of spending time in the library reading on various subjects or practicing in Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Spells. But Luna suggested this course, because all those things we practiced were what we were good at, but Neville and Luna have different passions. Neville has a knack for Herbology and he is really interested in it too, while Luna wants to be a Magizoologist. And Luna was a little sad that she can't attend Hagrid's classes till next year so we started this. And also it wasn't fair for them, so we arranged this excursion every week on Sundays." Harry explained casually.

"Are we officially included in your group?" Daphne sounded almost hesitant, but she asked anyway. Daphne was showing her true self more often when she was around Harry and his group of friends. According to Daphne, Harry and his friends didn't expect anything from her other than loyalty and friendship, but they were very helpful when it came to a problem.

"Of course you are included…" Surprisingly it was Hermione who answered this. Hermione may not like Slytherin girls for their interest on Harry, but that doesn't mean that she couldn't help them. And besides she was looking forward to have a friendship with other girls of her age with healthy attitudes even if they were from Slytherins. Last time the only healthy relationship she had among fellow girls of her age group was Ginny, but since Ginny was very ambitious and deceptive, she had no intention of retaining that friendship with Ginny again. Neville and Luna who made it back to join them heard the conversation and decided to ask the new comers about their passion in subjects.

"So which subject, do you like the most, eh…, Daphne, Tracey?" Neville stuttered a little as he was a little nervous talking to the Slytherin girls. Because according from what he heard from Seamus, Daphne Greengrass was one of the prettiest girls in their year and most third and fourth year Slytherin boys were after her. And Tracey was the equivalent to Lavender Brown from their year, so she gossiped a lot.

"I don't have a favourite subject, because for me all the subjects are equal except Divination which is completely useless while Trelawney drawls about death of Ronald Weasley. And the most amusing part is that the 'weasel' actually looks like he is the king of the world when Trelawney predicts them…" Tracey said and giggled to which Hermione, Luna and Neville chuckled too at the 'weasel' comment, while Daphne cracked a smile and he remained impassive with a trace of a small smile.

"Well, I am interested in potions and it is also my favourite subject, but unfortunately I am not very talented in the art like I wanted to be and Professor Snape is usually disappointed in me considering the fact that my mother is very adept with potions and she was also one of Professor Snape's classmates." Daphne said indifferently while assuming her impassive exterior when everyone looked at her.

"Rubbish, talent is something we develop over time, while vast numbers of inborn talents inheriting into one person is quite rare. Well look at me, apart from my immense talent in flying and a mild talent in 'defence spells' I am not talented at anything, but I work very hard in my subjects and I excel at it." Harry turned to look at Hermione with a warm smile while Hermione smiled at him too, as she was the only one who knew about his developed talents.

"Harry, maybe we can have a private potions lab set up and we use it to practice brewing potions…" Neville asked him while looking at hopefully as he wanted to show it into Snape's face by brewing flawless potions. Meanwhile Harry noticed that both Hermione and Daphne were looking very interested in this idea, so he nodded and said.

"That is a very good idea Neville. I will look into what I can do…" He replied smoothly, but he felt that he should warn his new friends about Snape's mind reading methods.

"Meanwhile Daphne, you and Tracey should start practicing Occulumency because Snape can look into your minds very easily as he is a very skilled Legilimens. Because the last thing we need is him snooping around our study group and activities." Harry kept his face very seriously and said this to get it across to them. He knew that Neville had been training in Occulumency while Luna had natural defence in her mind, so it was unnecessary.

"What is an Occulumency?" Tracey asked confused about what they were talking about.

"It's an art of protecting one's mind from external attacks by organizing your mind systematically and building strong mental barriers. Legilimency is an art of invading another's mind by projecting magic into other's brains via direct eye to eye contact. Don't worry, I will teach you how to do it…" Daphne explained to her friend.

With that the conversation turned into much lighter topics and all of them used it as an opportunity to bond with their new friends. While Harry himself made sure to check both Daphne's and Tracey's mind just to be sure that they were not a threat to them and that they were indeed real friends.

They made it to Hagrid's hut and from there Hagrid took them into the deep of the forest and showed them a Unicorn and a foal. The girls enjoyed the proximity of the Unicorn itself while he and Neville spent their time with the young Unicorn's foal. Hermione and Luna recorded the details in the official record book while showing Daphne and Tracey the procedure to do it. After that they went to the lake which was still cold, so they didn't get into the water while Neville and Luna both didn't mind it one bit and immediately started examining and collecting samples of herbs. Daphne and Tracey used this opportunity to look at the book they maintained and read about every magical creatures that they came across which were quite a few and they were both impressed.

By evening they all reached back to the castle and said their goodbyes and headed for their respective activities. Neville and Luna went back to their dorms to rest after their exhaustive day out, while Tracey and Daphne went to the library on Tracey's request to read up on Occulumency. Meanwhile Hermione and he went to the Room of requirements to research on the temporal beacon by recreating time-warp charm, since they still had time for dinner.

* * *

 _ **One hour later (The Room)-**_

Hermione was busy; she was sitting on the couch and was reading her own data that she rewrote from recalling the memorized details of the 'time-warp charm'. Harry on the other hand was thinking about Hermione, because every time she was frustrated she would bite her own lower lips and that was driving him barmy. He just wanted to stand up from his chair and walk up to the couch and snog her senseless and finally after almost twenty minutes of sneaking glances at her, he had enough.

He stood up from his chair slowly and walked up to the couch and stood in front of her. He bent a little and called, "Hermione…", to which she didn't lift her head to face him instead she kept her head down still immersed into her notes and replied, "Mmm".

"Hermione..!" He called her name a little louder and he kneeled in front of her and this time she lifted her head to face him. He used that moment to cup her face with both his palms and closed in on her and brushed his lips with hers. The kiss was tender, loving and passionate; Hermione closed her eyes unconsciously and she melted into the kiss when he nibbled on her lower lips and after a full minute of nibbling they broke up for air. Hermione was panting hard while she couldn't think of anything as her mind was completely blank and when she looked up she found an emerald green eyes searching into her soul with so much love that she wanted to faint, but couldn't and that's when he asked.

"Mione, will you be my girlfriend?" Harry himself was feeling light headed as every bit of his Gryffindor courage he summoned to stay awake was almost gone and he was desperately trying to stay awake as his Occulumency shields were totally down. While Hermione was looking at him with a dazed look in her eyes, but her face was indicating that she was in ecstasy and pleasure as she fell into his arm and fainted dreaming about a raven haired boy with green eyes who just asked her to be his girlfriend.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took long, but I was busy. This chapter is almost a filler chapter, but next chapter is going to be interesting, I promise. And girls and guys I need your opinion if Harry's Patronus must change or not. Because I think this Harry is very different from the Harry in the last timeline, because he had seen the horrors of war and lived a decade of his life through perpetual agony and his rest of life weren't much better either. Patronus represents the goodness and positivity in a person's mind and Harry going through everything in his life still fights for this world, so that is his goodness.**_

 _ **If NO, then don't worry I won't change his Patronus. It will be still a STAG.**_

 _ **If YES, then these are the substitute animals.**_

 _ **ABRAXAN FLYING HORSE,**_

 _ **HUGE GREY WOLF,**_

 _ **OWL**_

 _ **And also guys if Harry and Hermione are to become Animagus then what animal should she/he become, then please give me some ideas. I have a few ideas like an owl, eagle or a kea, but I can't decide as there many other tempting animals that can fit Harry and Hermione.**_

 _ **Please, reviews and critics are really appreciated. But if you criticize please go easy on me, because I am very new to writing fanfictions.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing and Dumbledore bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I have chosen a Patronus, but please don't hate me if you don't like my choice. And I am sorry that I have to break the promise of not over-exaggerating, because in this chapter it was required. And Animagus transformation isn't due till the fourth year, I have a very solid plan for it, but suggestions are still really appreciated.**

* * *

 _ **Monday morning (Ministry of Magic)-**_

It was a dull morning, the sun was on the horizon, but still the cold weather was making it difficult for everyone. Amelia Bones the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) was sitting in her office while sipping on her tea to get over the residual giddiness and that is when there was knock on the door. Amelia immediately composed herself and put aside her schedule for the day that she was reading and then she set her tea cup down and said, "Come in."

Auror Proudfoot a tall white bony man opened the door and walked inside and when Amelia gave a nod of approval he began his report, "Our suspect Pettigrew tried to escape from his cell yesterday evening. The anti-Animagus wards and various other wards were triggered during the process, Ma'am."

"I performed a complete scan for recognizing the Dark Mark, under the presumption of doubt that we held him in prison for and fortunately for us the result of the scan came to be positive. How should we continue with this development, Ma'am?" Proudfoot asked with a smirk as he was already briefed about this case beforehand.

Amelia almost smiled when she heard the news from the Auror, because this would be the perfect way to get revenge on Barty Crouch Sr, who on various occasions has subtly pointed out that women are unfit to lead a department of such importance. And exposing a Death Eater who got the 'Order of Merlin', while exposing the incompetence of the Ministry and its bigoted officials' was just a bonus. And to sweeten the deal it also turned out to be a very good way to shove it into the face of one Albus Dumbledore who was subtly trying to derail her investigation. She had to agree that Dumbledore knew subtlety, but she wasn't the first woman Head of DMLE for nothing.

"I think it is time to present our suspect to the Wizengamot. Auror Proudfoot, please call for an emergency meeting for the entire Wizengamot for today at the earliest, we do have a case to present." Amelia instructed to the Auror and the said Auror swiftly nodded and left the room.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts-**_

Harry was pacing inside the room of requirements, while Hermione was having a bath in the washroom that the room provided them with. Last night was the most restless night he ever had, because Hermione didn't wake up after she fainted. He tried to wake her up a few times, but when she didn't, he wished for a comfortable bed and when the room gave him that, he laid her gently and tucked her in it. Then he went to dinner and proceeded to his dorm room not to arouse any suspicion and then he spent his night enduring Ron's snoring, but he didn't even sleep for a brief moment.

He wanted an answer to the question he asked, because if she didn't give him an answer then their friendship would become strained and that would make most of his plans to go up in flames. But that wasn't what worried him, 'to hell with his plans, the world can suffer for as long as possible for all he cared'; he was worried because he would lose her forever and that would kill him undoubtedly.

That morning he made his usual appearance in the common room and when Lavender inquired him where Hermione was, he acted as if he didn't know where she was and then went to investigate into the matter. While he already got into Hermione's dorm room via the window guided in by Hedwig, while using his firebolt and got her school robes and shrunk it and carried it to the 'room of requirements' before the first light.

But when he woke her up and told her about how she spent last night in 'the room' and then he gave her the school robes and told her to clean up, but what hurt him was that she didn't even gaze into his eyes. He would have considered this as nervousness, but he saw that she was in deep thought, so he knew that she was just distracted. And that was enough for all of his uncertainties to surface up to his mind and now as a result he was pacing in 'the room'. He kissed her because Daphne and Tracey made it very clear that they both were interested in him as more. He wanted to make it clear to Hermione that he only desired to be with her and no one else. And also because of the eventuality that someone will desire Hermione and he doubted it if he had the strength to watch her with someone else again, in the past he thought he could but now he wasn't so sure.

Meanwhile Hermione herself was pacing under the falling warm water that the shower was providing her with. How was she going to respond to his heart felt kiss/request that still sent shivers into her spine while making her stomach to flip and to make her toes curl just by thinking about it? A simple question like, 'Will you be my girlfriend?' was making her lose all the sense of self control while invoking the most beautiful of feelings. She was just too surprised because she never expected Harry to make the first attempt after all the mental wounds he was still trying to hide from her.

Harry was far too emotionally scarred although at the same time hardened by a lifetime of hardship, he had a heart of stone and an incontestably manic ruthlessness when it comes to a threat to him or his friends. While she was the only one he actually opened up to, and still he only shared titbits with her. That was what she was trying to achieve, because she was the only one who could truly understand him and exhume him from his scarred mind. Right now, outside he was waiting for her while expecting an answer from her, an answer if answered incorrectly would devastate him. She truly loved him with all her heart and she wanted to say that to him, her reaction to Daphne's interest on Harry was proof of that, but she needed to know if there was a possibility of a happy life with him. Last time she chose the wrong man and paid for that mistake dearly and she miraculously has another chance and she didn't want to repeat that same mistake again.

At that moment during her stream of thoughts she had an epiphany; she saw all the memories of Harry trying to push her away, so that she could be truly safe. And that is when she realized that Harry sacrificed his happiness and hope, just so she could have a happy and safe life with Ron. He spent a decade hunting and living in constant life or death situations everyday as a result of that very decision. And that is when it became clear to her that Harry gave up hope of happiness in life; he decided to think that he never would have a normal life and he turned himself into a thoughtless machine and forgot being what it is to be human.

And it is her job to heal him within and be healed by him and show him that true love indeed existed and give him that unconditional love that he truly deserved and was deprived of. She finished her bath and went to the nearby connected room to the bathroom and dried herself and dressed up in her school robes. She walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and neat and she found him pacing while biting his nails for a brief moment and when he saw her he instantly became impassive.

She walked up to him and stood straight in front of him facing him directly and said with a smile, "Yes." A wide grin marred his face and he was visibly shaking with excitement, but before he could do anything she caught hold of his shoulder and pulled him close to her and when they were close enough to feel each other's breath she paused for a moment and kissed him on his lips in a gentle but powerful touch. He slowly circled his arms around her waist to pull her closer and kissed her back and she held the back of his neck with her circled arms and pulled his face even closer onto hers'. Finally after one full minute they broke up for air and he rested his forehead onto hers and whispered to her, "You have no idea, for how long I have waited for that kiss."

Hearing this was enough to make her cry out in both happiness and sorrow, happiness that she found Harry at last and in sorrow that she caused him so much grief last time around when she chose Ron. Harry guessed that she was crying due to happiness and held her in a tight embrace for her to calm down.

"Let's go to breakfast." He said and started pulling her out of the room, but Hermione resisted, so he turned to face her and scrunched his face in confusion.

"Harry, let's skip breakfast and go straight to class." Hermione was for the first time nervous to reveal their relationship to public.

"Uh huh, you haven't had anything to eat since last night, so you are not going to skip breakfast today and that is final." Harry was firm in his decision as he gave her a stubborn look.

"Harry, it's not that. I don't want to make our status as a couple into public knowledge this soon." Hermione said almost sounding nervous not meeting his gaze.

"Why Hermione, did I do something wrong?" Harry was worried that he did something wrong, because the last thing he wanted was to mess up something that was one of the only good thing that ever happened in his life.

"No Harry, you did no such thing." Hermione replied immediately.

"Think like this Harry, we are physically thirteen and mentally early thirties. According to others this is the period we teenagers start to take interest in the opposite sex, so we are not considered the most mature type of teens in the teenage years. Being in a relationship will not look good on our part, so we need to take this in a steady pace. We may be mentally mature enough to handle our relationship, but they don't know that. And besides it still frightens me a little when we become physically close with each other, so I need some time to adjust to this transition." Hermione explained her thoughts on the matter. She needed time to adjust with being physically close with any boy not just Harry; she knew that generally abuse victims tend to take years to recover meanwhile she was making a rapid recovery, but she still didn't want to risk it.

Hermione's logic made perfect sense to him; everybody will expect Hermione and him to be the perfect rule abiding model students. While Hermione's image must be perfect in the eyes of teachers and that was essential for his plan to proceed. For all he cared he wanted to announce to everyone in the castle that Hermione was his girlfriend while not caring what people thought about them, but he respected and loved Hermione more than his stupid desires, so that was definitely out of his question. And he realized that their physical closeness was making Hermione uncomfortable, so he decided that was out of the question too for an indefinite time period, until Hermione says that it was okay.

"Dobby…" Harry called out and with a soft pop the energetic house elf appeared in 'the room'.

"Harry Potter Sir called for Dobby. How can Dobby be of service to Harry Potter Sir?" The elf asked and he smiled.

"Dobby, me and Hermione are not in the mood to go to the Great Hall for breakfast, so can you bring some food for us?" He asked and Dobby nodded enthusiastically and disappeared. Harry turned to find that Hermione was glaring at him, so he sighed and said.

"Hermione, I know you don't approve of me having Dobby as my elf. But you must understand that we bonded only because it was necessary, my bond of friendship with Dobby was the only thing that was keeping him healthy and I just couldn't let him suffer after all the things he did for us in the future." Harry wasn't going to let Dobby look for jobs when the loyal and wonderful elf could clearly be under his protection. Hermione's glare lessened but still she kept pouting at him and with a heavy sigh she gave him a slight nod of agreement.

A few minutes later Dobby reappeared with two plates consisting of eggs, bacons, sandwiches and pumpkin juice. After having their breakfast they headed towards their first class which incidentally was the Care of Magical Creatures.

* * *

 _ **Evening (Quidditch Pitch)-**_

Hermione was frowning as she was walking towards the Quidditch pitch. She was not happy, because Harry completely distanced himself from her within a span of few hours. The distance didn't mean that he wasn't talking to her or sharing with her, but instead he kept a physical distance of minimum two feet between them at all times. It confused her to no end, Harry confessed to her last night and they became an item this morning and now he was acting as if he was an automaton who was programmed not to touch her.

She reached the Quidditch pitch, but she didn't find anyone. She knew that this was usually when the Gryffindor Quidditch team practiced. She immediately went to the locker room to check for Harry, she reached the locker room and opened it carefully and called, "Harry, are you in there?"

All of a sudden her boyfriend peeked out from behind some lockers and smiled at her. "Blimey Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry was excited to see his girlfriend. Having a girlfriend excited him and as a result he tried every risky technique he could think of in today's practice and succeeded in it, as he was too happy to care for the consequences. "Come on in Hermione nobody is here. Today we started practicing a little earlier, so we finished early." Harry gave her a wide grin.

Hermione immediately walked inside and checked if they really were alone and she was sure, she walked beside him and asked doubtfully, "If you finished early then why are you still here?"

"I wanted to fly a little longer; because this is the happiest I have been in years." He said with the same wide grin that was still in his face and she smiled softly.

"When was the last time you were this happy?" Hermione asked as her curiosity got the best of her.

"When Teddy called me 'Dada' for the very first time." He replied but this time the smile decreased a little. Hermione was expecting many kinds of answers, but that was not one of them.

After a brief silence Hermione asked, "Harry, I want to know why you have been keeping at least a two to three feet distance between us since morning." Hermione was straight in her question not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.

"Hermione, you told me that our physical closeness was making you uncomfortable, so I thought that keeping a fair bit of distance between us would be helpful." Just as he completed she jumped into his arms in a crushing hug.

"Oh, you silly, what I really meant were, that we must take our relationship slowly and not rush into things and keep it a secret for a while, so no public displays of affection _yet_. And I wanted to keep it a secret because the last thing I needed was all the girls from the boy-who-lived fan club hexing me for snagging you." Hermione ranted while still hugging him tightly despite the sweat covered Quidditch shirt.

"What boy-who-lived fan club?"

"Harry, there is a fan club for you. It is very popular among…girls, last time Daphne and Tracey were members of that club. All they talk about is…you, they know almost everything about you and they have a lot of other members too." Hermione released the hug and kept her head down.

"And may I ask how you know so much about this supposed fan club, Miss Granger?" Hermione bit her lower lip, because he asked the very question she wished that he didn't ask her.

"I may have sneaked into one of their meetings last time around." Hermione whispered not quite wanting him to hear, but he heard it nonetheless and he burst out laughing loudly.

"Wow, Hermione Granger going to a fan club meeting…, unbelievable." Harry was laughing hysterically with tears in his eyes.

"If you keep laughing like that then you will lose a snogging session tonight." That shut him up instantly while Hermione smiled playfully yet in a proud manner.

He gave a mock glare and said, "Oh, you think you're very funny do you?" With that he started to tickle her and when she was laughing hard enough he stopped and caught hold of her arm and pulled a still giggling Hermione out of the locker room.

Once they were both outside he searched into his pocket and took a small toy broom and suddenly it enlarged into Harry's firebolt. He mounted on the broom and levitated a few inches above the ground and held his hand to a surprised Hermione. She initially relented, because she was afraid of heights, but her mind was screaming at her, _'take his hand woman and one of your most romantic daydreams will come true'_. She took his hand and when she was about to mount behind him but stopped when he said, "Hermione, sit in front of me." He guided her in front of him and she hesitated for a moment, but still sat in front of him.

Harry moved back a little as Hermione adjusted and fit in perfectly between him and the broom. He slowly snaked his arms around her hips beneath her arms and caught hold of the broom and he soared into the sky in blinding speed. It was sunset and the clouds were tinted in a light orange colour between the dark blue sky, it beautifully but oddly complemented the clouds. He saw that his girlfriend was looking with wide eyes which were filled with wonder; he climbed higher and higher into the sky. On the way he placed a wandless 'warming charm' on them as it became colder as they climbed. He closed the small distance between his chest and her back and held her closer and she unconsciously snuggled into him.

"Harry, this is beautiful." She commented as she looked to the orange clouds and leaned the back of her head into his chest while gazing at the sky.

"What I wouldn't have given for a moment like this the last time around, Harry." She mumbled unconsciously as he gently laid his chin on her left shoulder, but before he could ask her why she looked down and all hell broke loose.

"Oh my god, oh my god…, OH MY GOD…" Hermione started struggling with the broom while squirming into his hold and he noticed that she was almost hyperventilating, so he held her tighter and whispered into her ear.

"Hermione, please calm down. I am here right behind you and you are safe in my arms, I will protect you with my life, so please… calm… down." His whisper worked as she closed her eyes tightly and calmed down visibly and leaned her back into his chest and relaxed, while he lowered the broom down and within minutes he slowly landed safely on top of a Quidditch stand. Hermione immediately got off and breathed in and out slowly to calm her nerves. He landed on the wooden platform and shrunk his broom non-verbally and wandlessly and put it in his pocket. Just as he did, Hermione quickly walked to him and hugged him like her life depended on it.

"Come on this is enough for today; let us head back to the castle." He told her and she nodded into his chest. He slowly walked as he led her to the castle while holding her hand tightly.

* * *

 _ **Dinner (Great Hall)-**_

Harry and Hermione wandered here and there and they took their time to reach the castle; they were simply enjoying each other's presence. They didn't speak with the other, because words wouldn't be enough to express what they felt for each other. So it was already dinner time when they reached the Great Hall, but just as they entered, every single one in the hall turned to look at him.

This reaction wouldn't have really surprised him last time, because it happened from time to time, but it was quite rare this time around. This time it wasn't quite common because the only time they stared at him like this was when they won their first match against Slytherin in his first year. Hence he immediately assumed that something was definitely up and then he noticed that they were staring at him and not glaring, so he assumed it wasn't a bad issue. They didn't stare at Hermione in particular and 'everyone' stared him and not just the girls in particular, so their relationship was still a secret he surmised.

He also noticed that both Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape were sneering and glaring at him more than usual. And he also saw that Ronald Weasley was nowhere to be seen and that surprised him, because he knew for a fact that the idiotic Weasley never skipped dinner and unsurprisingly Dumbledore was missing from his seat. By the time he finished his musing he and Hermione were at the table near their usual spot and he noticed that Neville was in front of him, so he gave him a questioning look.

"Read it." Neville said and placed the main page of the _'Evening Prophet'_ in front of him.

* * *

 **PETER PETTIGREW HERO OR TRAITOR, SIRIUS BLACK DECLARED INNOCENT**

Today morning in the Ministry, the Head of the DMLE 'Madam Amelia Bones' requested for an immediate emergency meeting for the entire Wizengamot. The aurors of DMLE presented one Peter Pettigrew an 'Order of Merlin' holder who was presumed dead until now, and then she requested for a trial under Veritaserum under the _'presumption of doubt'_. When questioned, Madam Bones quoted that _'I for one ought to know how a 'Death Eater' evaded capture for all these years and secured himself an 'Order of Merlin' title under his name'_.

And with this Peter Pettigrew was shackled and was questioned under Veritaserum. The results of the trial gave way to some startling revelations that shook the very core of the Magical Community. It was revealed that Peter Pettigrew was made the secret keeper of the Potters by Sirius Black and James Potter as they tried to trick the Death Eaters by switching between friends and also that Pettigrew was the one who betrayed the Potters on that fateful Halloween night in 1981. It was also revealed that Peter Pettigrew was an illegal unregistered Animagus taking the form of a 'rat' and that is how he evaded capture for all these years until caught by the DMLE. And Pettigrew also revealed that when Sirius Black the supposed mass murderer came after him seeking vengeance for the betrayal of the Potters, he framed Mr. Black for all those murders of the muggles which he committed and faked his death and went into hiding. And to the utter surprise of everyone Peter Pettigrew said that he hid in the home of a Ministry employee 'Mr. Arthur Weasley', as a pet rat under the name 'Scabbers'.

With this development, Peter Pettigrew was sentenced to life in Azkaban in the high security wing with his magic stripped away from him for the case of high treason and murders he committed. And it was also announced that all the charges on one Sirius Orion Black was dropped and if seen he was to be informed and briefed of the situation.

The most shocking of things happened after a brief ten minutes recess to continue on with the investigation of the other cases. After the ten minutes recess, Sirius Black himself appeared before court and requested for a fair trial, even after being dropped accounts of all charges. And unsurprisingly the story itself was corroborated by Mr. Black with a few extra added details of how and why he broke out of Azkaban Prison. And it was also revealed that Mr. Black too was an illegally unregistered Animagus. And he was fined for it, but this fine amount was to be deducted from the amount the Ministry settled Mr. Black due to the wrongful conviction and twelve years of wrong imprisonment in Azkaban prison.

When we questioned Mr. Black after the trial on what he was going to do now, he quoted that, _'I am going to fulfil the promise that I made to James and Lily, when they named me as Harry's Godfather'_. We from the Prophet hope the best for Mr. Black on his ventures and for the Boy-who-lived.

 **Brought to you by,**

 **Andy Smudgley**

* * *

People who were staring intently at Harry's expression were confused, because Harry Potter just smiled and placed the paper on the table and had his dinner silently. Harry smiled because Sirius was free, so no more Dursleys because of the last statement in the article, and in the article neither Dumbledore nor he was mentioned exclusively. And he understood why Ronald Weasley was missing from dinner, while he didn't like the idea of the entire Weasley family being disgraced, but Ron, Ginny and Molly suffering was music to his ears. He also guessed the reason for why Draco and Snape were glaring at him, but he didn't care for their opinions at all, so he simply ignored it. While Hermione who read the paper after him decided to simply follow Harry's example and started eating and gave some pep talk to Harry.

Ronald Weasley was nowhere to be seen, because many people who knew about Scabbers being his pet asked him about Peter Pettigrew. And out of embarrassment he went into his dorm room and sat on his bed eating his remaining Chocolate Frogs. Ronald was once again thinking about Harry Potter, because to him Harry was the centre of attention to everyone as potter relished in his fame. Ron was very well versed with Pureblood Magical laws, so he knew that if Sirius Black named Harry Potter as his heir then Potter would become the most influential student in Hogwarts. Potter would become the head of two Noble families and inherit everything from the families, so he unconsciously gnashed his teeth thinking about all the money Harry would have, he hated being poor and he decided to do something about it.

Meanwhile in the Slytherin table Draco Malfoy got up and stormed out of the Great Hall. Until yesterday Narcissa Malfoy was the only remaining Black who had the authority to legally claim the Black inheritance, but since she was a female her son Draco would have claimed when he turned sixteen, as her sister Andromeda was a disowned female without a male heir. Draco was dreaming of having millions of Galleons under his name when he turned sixteen and after claiming the Black family inheritance which outshined the Malfoy wealth by almost twice. He would have become the head of Black family and heir of the Malfoy family, so he would have been the richest student in Hogwarts. And being the head of two families would give him rights to marry twice for the two families and he would have claimed family quarters in school, separate for himself. Now his dream was shattered into a million pieces with the return of Sirius Black and all hope was lost due to the fiasco today and the worst of them being that Black was Harry Potter's Godfather, the one person he absolutely detested. Draco Malfoy stopped antagonizing Potter after his very first year, because Harry Potter was level headed and a smart mouth, so he couldn't even get a reaction out of him when he needed it and he often got humiliated trying to rile up Potter. But now he decided that it was time to make Potter's life a living hell in school if it was the least he could do.

Severus Snape was glaring daggers at Harry Potter, because now the boy would become just as arrogant as his filthy father and godfather. According to him, Potter never showed his arrogance outwardly, but he subtly mocked everyone with his silent genius exterior. And now with Black's influence he would resemble even more of 'James Potter' his rival, but the good part was that he would have no reason to never ever regret for hurting the boy even with him being the filthy son of the gentle women he loved. And then he hid the sick smile that almost threatened to appear on his face, because after him and Dumbledore deal with Black, the insolent brat would never consider James Potter as his father or as a great man. That would be the most fitting revenge against his rival James Potter who stole Lillian Evans from him.

* * *

 _ **Study Session-**_

The last three weeks turned out to be the best weeks of the year because Sirius sent letters to him while he replied back. They were making good head way with their study sessions, so he decided to start practical applications on potions. He turned an abandoned classroom in the third floor into a makeshift potions lab. The very next day after Sirius's exoneration the Weasley twins gave him the Marauder's map while they asked him to brew pranking potions for them in return and also made him promise for an introduction to Sirius. This further strengthened the idea of practical potions; he and Hermione used the map to make it to the secret passages undetected and then walked out of the school's wards. From there they travelled to Diagon Alley under disguise and 'masking wards' and there they bought Potion-making ingredients and equipments. They also visited Sirius various times surprising the Marauder, while Sirius supported every bit of mischief they caused. They also visited Dan and Emma who missed Hermione dearly and when they asked how they came, they simply told them that they used a portkey they got from Sirius. He explained everything about Sirius's exoneration to the Grangers who were genuinely happy for him, while Hermione told Emma about their relationship while Emma suggested not telling Daniel about it for now.

It was a Saturday morning, Harry was busy setting up the potions lab in the third floor classroom, and he stockpiled the cupboards with the potion ingredients while the other bookshelves with large varieties of potion books. At that moment the door opened and he saw both Tracey and Daphne walking into the room.

"Hi Harry." Tracey greeted in her normal flirting self.

"Hello, Harry." Daphne said impassively while giving a slight glare to Tracey.

"Hey, girls…" He greeted without even turning to face them as he was still working on arranging the potion equipments.

Tracey was going to continue her flirting tone, but was interrupted as the door opened again and Neville, Luna and Hermione entered. All three greeted him and he greeted them back and within minutes they all sat down waiting for him to finish and moments later he was done. So he turned towards the door and warded the place very heavily, so that no one would disturb them or find out about their secret sessions.

"Okay, you wanted efficient practical training in potions, so Hermione and I have arranged this setup. There are five individual cauldrons with burners on five separate tables…" Harry was interrupted by Neville.

"Why five, Harry? Three would have been enough, because we have just enough people for three groups." Neville was curious why there were five cauldrons when there were six people. Luna and Tracey were curious too, while Daphne and Hermione understood where Harry was going with this.

"Neville, you and others will be doing the potions separately without a partner. And I will be inspecting the methods and ways you guys brew your potions in order to assess where you all individually stand in this art." Harry answered decisively and Neville nodded. Hermione and Daphne immediately understood that Harry would invigilate them like in an exam, while Luna and Tracey didn't care as they were going to learn what they could from this study session.

"'Moste Potente Potions' is the best book that I recommend to you for your use, so each of us can take a copy of the book in the top left of the third cupboard and refer it to brew 'Beatification Potion' and 'Undetectable Poisons' today. The first one is easy to brew while the next one is quite difficult, so I expect the best from all of you. The potion ingredients are in that cabinet…you can begin when you like." Harry pointed the cabinet in the right corner of the room.

All five immediately started the work; they took the books and referred what they needed to brew and started collecting the materials required. Harry meanwhile was watching them all carefully, because he needed to confirm something that was looming over his mind. He learned how to properly brew potions in Japan, while his stay there for eight months. And he paid quite an amount to hire the top six tutors in the country to teach him and eventually he was evaluated by the organization called 'Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers' with affiliation to the ICW and was awarded the title of Master Potioneer. He found that each potion didn't need to be banished every time you make a single mistake instead that they must be corrected and continued. It made sense to him; if you banished a potion every time you make a mistake then the amount of ingredients used was not viable or effective. He never questioned this in school, because the time was always insufficient for brewing most potions as they only had an hour or two at max. Most of the potions required a bare minimum of fifty minutes and the potion ingredients were limited to a single student. So re-brewing it wasn't exactly a practical method, they always submitted their potions to Snape at the end of the period even if it wasn't perfect, and so they were graded accordingly for their work.

His suspicions were proved right within half an hour into brewing, because he noticed that all of them banished their first set of potions and restarted again, as they had access to more time and ingredients. He decided to stop them when they finish brewing the potions so to explain the facts to them and reform the practical potions session, so he did stop them from brewing the next potion.

"Until an hour ago I was under the impression that Severus Snape was brilliant but biased teacher, but now I can honestly say that he is just completely incompetent at teaching. I noticed that all of you 'Scourgified' or 'Banished' your potions every time you made a mistake that was particularly difficult to correct, and then you just started again all over. Why?" Harry honestly thought that Snape at least taught the Slytherins properly, but just benignly neglected to teach the students from the other houses. But from the way Daphne and Tracey handled themselves while brewing their potions during the last hour; he was sure that he can accept that he was wrong in his assessment.

"Harry we have access to unlimited time and potion ingredients, so we were able to re-brew the potions steadily." Daphne answered as it was obvious while Hermione who already knew that Harry had Mastery at Potions, instantly knew that Harry meant something else.

"Good answer Daphne, but that is not the answer I wanted. Daphne you said that your mother was proficient with potion-making right. Have you ever asked her ways to correct a potion after failing to brew it properly?" Harry asked her, but meant the question to everyone.

"Harry, I will be honest with you. My mother only gave any effort to anything if she thought it was worth teaching, so she correcting me in potions is not exactly normal" Daphne gave her reason.

"Have you guys ever wondered; what a potion-making company would do if they make mistakes while trying to mass produce a specific potion?" Harry asked the obvious question ignoring Daphne's excuse, because Daphne misunderstood the objective of his question.

Everyone wondered for a while, but nobody came with an answer so they shook their heads. During their first year this time he tried to hint the previous Hermione the same question, but as they were in class and due to Snape's unhealthy interest in him, it was impossible to convey anything to her. And when he tried to do other times, Hermione simply said that there were advanced procedures to correct such problems. So he eventually stopped trying, but now he had a chance to correct it and he wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

"It is not effective to simply banish the potion and restart it from the very beginning, because they would be using huge amounts of potion ingredients and wasting it will not be a profitable on their part. There are ways to correct the effects of a potentially ruined potion while it is not completely applicable in terms of effectiveness for all potions; instead all potions are salvageable in the very least." Harry answered to them carefully.

"Tracey while brewing you didn't add enough diced 'ginger root' and you overheated the potion on the last step, so your potion lost its potency and ended up being light purple instead of dark green before you cast the 'Potion-making spell'. And how do you correct this...? You should have added exactly three 'lacewing flies' and stirred it counter-clockwise six times to neutralize the effects instead of 'Scourgifying' the entire potion and re-brewing it from the start. And do you know why your mistake caused the potion to lose its potency….? It was because the lock of unicorn hair you added previously wasn't dissolved completely because of insufficiency of the 'ginger root' essence which would have catalysed with the potion to produce acidity so to dissolve the unicorn hair." He pointed out her mistakes. While every single one of his friends looked at him like as if he just told them that he was from the future (no pun intended). He simply sat on the teacher's desk and looked at his friends with a smile, while everyone relaxed.

"Luna, you made a mistake by adding the morning dew and stirring slowly in clockwise direction. It was the other way around; you should have stirred slowly for a while and then added the morning dew of exactly two drops and stirring it vigorously while heating it carefully. You didn't notice the problem until you started adding petals of the fresh white rose where it should have been colourless instead yours was light brown. You could have simply countered this by turning off the burner and let the potion to cool off and then adding exactly three drops of 'honeywater', which should have been of the ratio of 1:3 for water and honey respectively." Now everyone had their jaws on the ground while they were standing rooted in a stunned silence.

He saw that no one was going to reply for a while, so he decided to use this as an opportunity to put some ground rules to make these amateurs adept in potion-making at the very least. "Okay, we are not going to continue with this, unless and until you have some thorough and solid understanding in potion theory."

"We have to carefully restructure the entire studying methodology and from there work on developing our skill in the art to higher levels." Harry further added.

While everyone nodded dumbly looking at him awed eyes, while each and every one of them was impressed. Hermione was now sure that her boyfriend was a very talented Potioneer, while Neville was thinking about genius prodigious Harry Potter taking the time to teach them. Luna had no idea of what to think, since Harry just proved that he was leagues away from her when in terms of skill. Daphne and Tracey were now thoroughly disgusted at their 'head of house' Severus Snape due to his obvious incompetence in teaching potions while they both agreed with Harry that they shouldn't continue until they have thorough knowledge on the subject.

"Since the potion session is over, we will work on our duelling skill for the entire day, class dismissed." Harry said and removed the wards and walked out collecting his items to the duelling room.

* * *

 _ **Patronus Training-**_

In the last few times training to cast a full corporeal Patronus, Remus took great pleasure to teach him more in detail during their sessions. Every time he casted the charm, his non-corporeal Patronus grew bigger and bigger, but he never casted the Corporeal one, because he thought that he needed to wait a little more.

Today he decided to cast the full Corporeal Patronus, because it was the seventh session with Remus in the last month and a half. It was time to make an impression on Remus by casting the charm correctly and this impression he makes will be what Sirius hears from Remus. And then once Sirius is convinced that he is very talented wizard, he will be able train better under Sirius with the availability of other facilities.

"You ready Harry?" Remus asked as he was waiting to open the box to let the Boggart out. And to this he nodded confidently all the while he used Occulumency to channel every bit of happy memories he had into the charm and he was very confident that he can succeed. He thought about his true friends and his budding relationship with Hermione then he thought about Sirius who was not a convict anymore, who will undoubtedly help Remus. And the thought that he finally had something he truly wanted was enough to bring out all of his powerful emotions.

Remus opened the box and the disguised Boggart came out in a threatening manner. He twisted his wand and waved it in a circular manner and said, "Expecto Patronum".

A thick strand of silvery white mist that emitted a blinding white light that came from the tip of his wand. Slowly the thick strand started accumulating into a spherical mass and the sphere grew bigger and bigger with being equally brighter, so much that it blinded the entire room. Slowly the huge sphere of white mist like orb took a shape, the legs and the body grew from the mass. The huge mass changed its form into a thick hairy wolf with huge claws and protruding sharp incisor tooth. The wolf grew bigger and heftier and eventually stopped when it was more than ten feet tall. And there stood a majestic gigantic silvery white misty wolf that was bright enough to blind them as it stood tall with its razor sharp claws and intimidating dagger-like incisor tooth. The boggart went into the box just as soon as the transformation was complete while Remus closed it.

Harry had his mouth agape because he for one expected a beautiful Stag to take form, but here it was in front of him stood a gargantuan Wolf that literally scared the Boggart away. He dispelled the charm and stood there rooted in his place while he turned to look at Remus who was looking at him exactly like he was. He never expected his Patronus to change, because his Patronus form made him feel closer to his father. And his Patronus was honestly frightening to see, as his Patronus just became a Huge-Wolf. If this was how his Patronus normally looked like then he didn't even want to know how it will look like if he improved it into a Dementor killing version.

"Harry, you did it. Harry you not only succeeded in casting a Corporeal Patronus, but yours also turns out to be a 'nearly' magical Creature." Harry was thinking carefully, but Remus's last statement of his Patronus nearly being a magical creature caught his attention.

"What Magical Creature? That… was just a Wolf. It is HUGE, but it is a wolf. Besides the only magical wolf is the Werewolf." Harry replied with a stutter.

"Harry, do you know how a Werewolf looks like?" Remus questioned Harry.

"Yes, it looks like a wolf, but with more humanoid structure and features. It is very tall, but lean and skinny with a bonier look." Harry explained, because he has had quite a few encounters with Werewolves and he had studied about them extensively.

"Did your Patronus look like a Werewolf?" Remus asked carefully.

"No, it looked like a regular wolf, but a lot bigger." Harry scrunched his face in confusion, because there was no such magical creatures that he knew off.

"Harry, do you know when Lycanthropy's start is traced back to…?" Remus asked and was going to continue as it was not a common knowledge about the legend of Werewolves and its magical perception to power, but was interrupted by Harry.

"Early ninth century…?" Remus looked at Harry and smiled, as it was obvious that Harry must have read extensively for him to come across that particular reference.

"Yes, Harry. But Lycanthropy couldn't have just started on its own there must have been a source. There is a story of a ferocious huge wolf that lived in Paleo-Siberian Empire which caused havoc. And it is said that many tried to kill it, but couldn't, so it became a feared creature. Eventually a wizard who tried to kill it used a curse, but that curse indirectly backfired on the wizard, because the said wizard didn't know that the wolf had magical roots of ancestry. As a result when the curse reacted differently to the wolf than it was supposed to and made the wolf's saliva much more potent and when the wolf bit the wizard, the wizard turned into a werewolf on the next full moon day. They say that the Lycanthropy spread from that wolf, we don't know what the truth is, but unfortunately we never will because such a wolf was never referred exclusively anywhere in history again, apart from the random sightings all around the globe. And from the description of that Wolf it is said to be big and hefty and powerful just like your Patronus's form. That is why I am telling you that your 'Patronus' is a Sentient-Wolf." Remus explained smiling at Harry, because it was better to share these details with someone who would understand what he says and hear him out because they are truly interested in conversing with him other than a necessity.

"Well, when has my life been entirely normal?" Harry grumbled to himself but Remus had very acute hearing, so he laughed at Harry's remark.

Harry was thinking carefully, because he had never come across such a reference anywhere whilst his research. And he researched quite a lot due to his last project on designing an improved version of Wolfsbane potion.

"Professor, I never came across such a story when I read about werewolves in the Library." Harry asked in a curious tone, because he never came across such a story in any of the books he bought regarding werewolves even in the other countries.

"Sirius, James and Peter learned about my condition during our school days. And Sirius being his curious self searched about werewolf in the Black family Library and he found an ancient old tome that must have been at least a few centuries old at the very least. And he nicked it from his family Library and brought it to school in order to show me and that's where we found the story." Remus still replied with the smile.

And it made perfect sense to him because every book he read was never any older than a few decades. And it wasn't very surprising to find that the book was found in the Black Family Library, because the family always looked for the best of items. And then they decided to end the lesson for the day and they locked the Astronomy classroom and walked out of the room, conversing with each other on lighter topics.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's Office (That Night)-**_

Albus Dumbledore was waiting for his trusted spy, because he had a task for Severus. Meanwhile he was in deep thought about Remus Lupin's report on the progress of Harry Potter's training on Patronus charm. At that very moment the greasy haired and hooked nose master Potioneer opened the door and walked in.

"You called for me, Albus?" Severus questioned curiously.

"Take a seat Severus." Dumbledore said and the Potioneer took the seat.

"An hour ago, Remus Lupin came in here telling me that Harry has succeeded in casting a full Corporeal Patronus….." Dumbledore was cut off by the Snape's yell.

"Impossible, Patronus charm is not something mere thirteen year old boy can master." Severus almost yelled and stood up from his chair in shock.

"Remus was not lying to me, Severus. Harry has indeed casted the Corporeal Patronus and has mastered the 'Patronus charm'." Dumbledore asserted his point sternly.

"This is troubling Albus, I assume that you have a plan?" Severus asked with his eyes showing the excitement.

"I have a task for you Severus. The task has two parts, one is that you will keep a close watch on Harry and find whom the boy spends his time with and where. The second part is that you will observe what Remus teaches the boy, as I don't think Harry would waste the opportunity to learn more from a Defence professor like Lupin. You will report it to me, if I think that Remus is teaching Harry more than what he should, and then you will slip up Remus's 'condition' to your house." Albus said carefully in a calculated tone, but decisive.

A twisted smile appeared on Severus's face and that smile was immediately hidden behind the mask of impassiveness. "I shall do as you ask, Albus." And with Dumbledore gave a brief nod and Severus Snape took the nod as a sign of dismissal and walked out of the office to do his job while leaving Dumbledore to muse on his machinations.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took too long, but I am having exams, so was little busy. And don't worry Harry's love life will grow steadily into stronger and powerful levels. And third year will be ending with the next chapter, so don't worry, I will keep going on with the years and events, but the upcoming years will occupy more chapters. And I will also correcting the mistakes I made in the previous chapters, so thank you for pointing out to my attention. Hope you liked the Patronus and its story, but sorry if I disappointed you, it is kind of vague but legends are supposed to be like that, so don't hate me.**_

 _ **Who should I pair Daphne, Tracey, Luna and Neville with? I got messages saying that Daphne should be paired with Harry and make it 'Harry/Hermione/Daphne', but I am not so sure about that suggestion, so give me some ideas on why.**_

 _ **And about Harry's friends circle, it will become big like the D.A, but this group right now will be the most trusted members. Just to clear it up.**_

 _ **Until Next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing and Dumbledore bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I have chosen not to endorse any idea of Harry/Hermione/Daphne pairing in this fanfic. Thank you for supporting and giving reviews regarding everything I had doubted off until now. I am still in need of your suggestions to proceed with this story.**

* * *

 _ **Moaning Myrtle's Lavatory (Three Months Later)-**_

It was the last week of May and the end of the term examinations were just around the corner. Harry Potter was as usual waiting for his friends inside the loo. He was leaning on the door of a stall and was staring at the unopened entrance of 'the Chamber of Secrets' and fortunately for him Myrtle Warren was nowhere to be seen. He briefly reviewed the events that happened in last three months in his mind, which turned out to the most stressful months of the year. For some reason Snape kept an annoyingly close watch on him and his friends, so it became increasingly difficult to hold any study sessions with the Slytherin girls. And also impossible for him get out of Hogwarts' wards to meet with Sirius. Daphne and Tracey gave him valuable Intel from inside the Slytherin House, so it became an absolute necessity for them to keep Daphne's and Tracey's friendship with him a secret.

During this time he took Hermione to 'the chamber' and showed her the Library and its items which originally belonged to Salazar Slytherin. He did this with quite some difficulty getting out of Snape's watchful eyes and also because that if he didn't show her now, then she will have to wait for the next year to begin. Hermione was so thrilled when he took her to the chamber so much that she ransacked all the books from the chamber's Library and stuffed it inside her private library that is in her trunk that he bought her for Christmas. After that he explored the Chamber thoroughly and made notes of its structures, dimensions and plans. Now his beautiful girlfriend was working on plans to collect various ingredients necessary for a potion that would cure his bad eyesight which she found in one of the books he translated for her. Hermione wanted him to open up to her more and every time he shared a strong memory with her, he would get a snogging session that night and a cuddle on the couch in 'the room'. But Hermione also pointed out to him that if their friends needed to trust them, then they must give them a reason to, so she persuaded him to show them the Chamber while she continuously reassured him that they wouldn't think of him as 'the heir'.

Three months ago after mastering the Patronus charm, he requested Remus to help him with a lot of other spells and charms. At first Remus was reluctant to teach him, but after a number of hours of pestering and begging, Remus agreed albeit reluctantly. And then the kind-hearted man taught him many things that he never would have imagined to learn in Hogwarts. Remus at first taught him some fairly basic spells, but when he picked them up quite easily, Remus started teaching him seriously. Remus taught him many spells and charms that were far beyond the NEWT level, because Remus was convinced that he was exceptionally talented in learning the most advanced of magic easily. And he never disappointed the man as he did his absolute best to learn them and being very thorough in basics helped him to cast the spells fairly easily.

Above all that, he learned the day to day events about his parents' dating and love life during their seventh year. Remus was a close friend to his mother Lily just as he was with his father. His mother found out about Remus's special condition during their fourth year, but his mother didn't push Remus away like the werewolf-man expected her to instead she welcomed Remus open-heartedly. He also learned that his parents fought with each other a lot during the early years in school, because both had many similarities and equal amount of dissimilarities. Buy their fifth year both stopped fighting with eachother and started concentrating on more important things like studies and eventually by the end of Marauders' seventh year, both James and Lily understood each other on a level beyond comprehension and as a result they fell in love. The result of their true love turned his father who was an impulsive, immature Marauder rivalling Sirius Black into a mature and thoughtful man. And his mother, the bossy, rule abiding and short tempered witch, who was more like 'the previous Hermione', became a more controlled and calm lady.

And what story excited him the most was that during the war, after one particular incident where his father was bedridden after a particular duel with a Death Eater, his mother took care of him for the entirety of a full week. And during that duration their Patronuses changed to complement each other, his mother's initial 'Swan' Patronus transformed into a 'Doe' complementing with his father's while his father's 'Stag' Patronus grew much bigger Antlers showing signs of maturity and wisdom.

According to Remus, James Potter's change due to Lily Evans-Potter turned out to be the best change ever. After that James Potter became brave enough and went as far as to verbally assault Albus Dumbledore while defending his wife's logic and intellect and became very protective of his mother. Lily Evans-Potter showed her Marauder mischievous quality that was hidden within her and became the commanding personnel within the group of troublemakers and often tongue-lashed the four Marauders like children who were caught stealing candy. And much to his surprise he also learned that his father James and Sirius were beginner Aurors for the DMLE while his mother was a rising star among the Unspeakables, due to her prodigious talent in charms and her intellectual knowledge and creativity. But both of them quit their respective jobs eventually, his mother quit hers when she got pregnant and his father quit his when they went into hiding to protect him from Voldemort. It hurt to think that both of his parents gave up their dreams for him and in result they got murdered and he grew up into a flawlessly manipulated pawn in Dumbledore's grand game.

A sombre look marred his face when he thought of how all the stories stopped and what happened to Remus. Two weeks ago Severus-Bloody-Darn-Snape informed the entire Slytherin House about Remus's special condition. And the very next day the Headmaster got letters which kept pushing the old man to fire Remus, but Remus resigned before Dumbledore could fire him.

Harry was observant and paranoid for a reason. He being an 'Investigative Auror' made his mind and instinct to suspect of this act as odd, Snape revealing that piece of information to his own house without any specific reason. And also following him around everywhere under disillusionment charm. While Dumbledore teaching defence classes and swiftly resuming from where Remus left off, as just merely coincidental. So he looked into it carefully and it made sense to him and everything formed a pattern when he crosschecked it with the date it all began. And everything started after he succeeded in mastering the Patronus charm. And it made sense, Remus must have reported to Dumbledore about his Patronus and the old fool had to make sure that Remus didn't teach him anymore of anything useful. So he must have asked Snape to keep an eye on him and to make Remus's condition known if things go too out of hand. That was the only thing he could come up with, but he wasn't sure because everything was just speculation and circumstantial. But he had plans for Remus and when the school ends, he will enact to them accordingly, so that Remus would no longer suffer.

He stopped his stream of thoughts when the door opened and Luna walked in first followed by Neville, Daphne, Hermione and Tracey.

"Harry, why are we here?" Daphne asked in a little annoyed tone, because end-of-term exams were only a week away and Harry was robbing them off their precious study time.

Harry instead took out his Blackthorn wand and with a flick the door closed and he placed a powerful 'confundus' and a 'notice-me-not' charms on the door and a monitoring charm just in case Snape decided to snoop. Just to make sure that nobody was around he took the Marauder's Map and tapped it and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good…" and the Map became visible on the piece of parchment. He checked it and found that Snivellus was in the dungeons while Dumbledore was in his office, but something caught his attention because Draco Malfoy was wandering in the corridor. But Draco's movements were erratic like he was looking for something, then it became clear Draco followed them and was looking for them. And finally Draco's dot stopped near the stairs close to the wall and went still it was like Draco was waiting to catch them when they come back. He decided to deal with that fool when they come back up, so he let the fool wait for now. "Mischief managed!" With that the Map closed shut.

"Trust me Daphne; this will be worth your time." Harry said, but he needed some things from his friends and it was time that he included them in their adventure.

" _ **Open.**_ " Harry hissed in Parsletongue and the basins moved to show the entrance.

" _ **Provide us with Stairs.**_ " And with that the tiles outside the entrance rearranged itself and huge blocks of stones moved and aligned to give them stairs.

He turned and found that all his friends with the exception of his girlfriend were staring at him with their mouth agape. There were a mixture of emotions displayed on their faces like fear, shock, surprise and awe. Daphne and Tracey were the ones with most shock, because they were Slytherins and they had a good idea of what he just did.

"Harry, you…can speak…, Parsletongue? Harry, are you a…, Parslemouth?" Tracey stuttered as she asked in shock. At this both Neville and Luna too understood the depth of what Harry just did and some pieces clicked and they too started showing signs of fear.

"Yes, Tracey, I am a Parslemouth. All will be explained in time, so be patient and follow me please." He replied and turned to the stairs and walked inside.

Hermione immediately followed behind her boyfriend into the deep tube like entrance. Soon one by one every one of his friends walked inside the dark tunnel and they reached a platform which was covered with small bones of various creatures. This officially freaked out every one of them, for Harry and Hermione it was disgust due to unhygienic environment, but for the others it was fear.

"Harry, where are we going?" Neville asked in a light, but scared tone while the others weren't faring any better.

"To the Chamber of Secrets, of course." He simply replied with a smile, but he didn't notice the look of horror his friend were giving him.

Then they continued walking and reached the section where the huge Basilisk's skin was lying around. This further frightened his friends with the exception of Hermione, as she has already seen this before. None of them were thrilled to go any further, but as Harry was walking carelessly they followed, but with a lot of doubts looming in their minds. After a few minutes of walking they reached the entrance gate of the Chamber, but it was already opened as Harry didn't close it the last time he visited.

He walked in through the gate followed by Hermione and then he turned to see that the others weren't following him. He turned to Hermione, but she gave him a reassuring look and then he sighed and waited for his friends to join him. Luna who was at the last suddenly started walking to join Harry and Hermione looking casual then Daphne slowly walked forward taking a leap of faith and following her friend Tracey walked forward, so did Neville. Just as he was going to take the metal staircase to actually go into the chamber Neville interrupted him.

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Neville almost shouted while pointing at the laying figure of the dead snake at the far end of the Chamber which almost looked like a sleeping snake when seen from a distance.

"Neville…, don't…don't…don't shout. You…might…wake it up" Tracey stuttered in fear of the huge snake.

"Calm down girls, that thing is already dead." Hermione said casually while an amused smile was on her face and with that she walked down the staircase.

"Oh, the naughty little snake is dead?" Luna asked dreamily while everyone stared at her, but they eventually gave a sigh and shrugged it off.

With that they proceeded forward to the left of the Chamber staying away from the huge dead Basilisk. Daphne's shock finally wore off and she asked him, "Harry, what is that? Is that the Monster of the Chamber of Secrets? Are you the Heir of the Slytherin? Are you the one who opened the Chamber last year and led the attack on the muggleborns?" She asked in close successions and finally took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"That Daphne is a Basilisk and yes, it was the Monster that resided in the Chamber of Secrets. And no, I am not the Heir of the Slytherin and I certainly didn't lead any attack on any muggleborns." Harry said calmly as he expected such questions sooner, but was glad that they only asked after being patient enough.

"Who is the Heir of Slytherin then?" Daphne asked curiously now that Harry has denied being the heir.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, he is also known as Lord Voldemort." Harry replied and when he said that name all four of his friends flinched simultaneously.

"But that can't be, you-know-who is dead. And even he was alive he couldn't have just…walked into school and opened the Chamber of Secrets undetected, can he?" Tracey was one who asked this continuing the flow of Daphne's questions.

"Voldemort maybe dead, but he enchanted a few cursed items and gave it to his most trusted Death Eaters. I can only assume that one of those Death Eaters slipped one such item into a student's belongings. And this student unknowingly used that item and became bewitched and this person helped in opening the Chamber and let the item control the Basilisk to attack the muggleborn students." Harry explained the news carefully to his friends who didn't know about any of these things.

"How do you know this? And what happened to the 'enchanted item'?" Neville asked clearly surprised by the whole story, because nobody knew any specific details of what happened in school last year.

"I stumbled upon the item accidentally when this student was desperately trying to dispose of it, as it must have scared this person. I saw the opportunity to end the nightmare and then when I found the entrance of the Chamber I brought it here and destroyed it carefully." Harry explained to them while keeping his face impassively.

"And did you kill the naughty snake, Harry?" Luna asked still a tinge of playfulness in her tone.

"Yes, Luna I killed it, when it didn't obey my commands. It only obeys the heir not everyone who are Parslemouth. I tried to command it into making it to go into hibernation for a few hundred years at least, but it didn't work, so I had no other choice but to kill it." Harry said nonchalantly as if it was a daily occurrence which only further enticed the attention of his friends. Meanwhile Neville, Tracey and Daphne stood there looking at him with stunned shock. Luna on the other hand was looking at the dead snake with a dreamy look.

"Okay, to the actual reason of why I brought you all here. There are some things in here that I would like for you to take a look at…" With that he took them to the chamber's Library and he opened the entrance.

With that he walked inside the Library and proceeded to the far end where there were numerous items placed carefully. There were various eggs and other items while he moved the Basilisk eggs to safety of his secure trunk, the other eggs and items must be disposed of or sold carefully to well set organizations, so that it will fall into the wrong hands.

"Okay, people here we are, this was Salazar Slytherin's storage and Library. If you accept this task that I may give you then you may have a busy summer, so step out if you are not interested." He warned them as he didn't want to force anything upon them. None of them moved; they simply stood firm ready to accept whatever task that was going to be thrust upon them.

"We have a collection of items here which once belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. Here we have perfectly preserved Dragon Heartstring and essence of various varieties of Dragons even from species that are currently known to be extinct. Phoenix feathers of red and blue and there are also three preserved eggs of each type of Phoenix. And note the fact 'Blue Flame Phoenix' is not seen in seven centuries, they are very valuable and may well give you a fortune if you sell them, so be careful. Unicorn hair, Veela hair, Dittany stalk, Thunderbird tail feathers, Wampus Cat hair, White River Monster spine, Rougarou hair, Nundu's whiskers and Griffin's tail hair and mane. These are all exclusive wand core materials and I believe Ollivander would like to have them, especially the Griffin's mane and tail hair, because the last Griffin was seen in 1893 and it very well may be extinct. Now there are Griffin's Eggs and Dragon's Eggs, but the Dragon's eggs are of various varieties which range from a few dozen types of species. Next the Dark items and I honestly don't know half the items of what they are, but I do know a few which are the 'Foe Glass', 'Magic Absorbing Locket' and a 'Curse Resisting Cabinet' and the others are unknown. Next is the Potion ingredients which consist of quite a few rare items such as products from Basilisk and Griffins and Dragons, but the others are commonly found in a regular Apothecary. The remaining items are Goblin made battle Armours, Swords and many other Weapons and Battle Equipments and Goblin made trinkets. We need to get rid of all this and we are going to do it one way or another this summer and I am in need of your help." Harry finished his explanation of the long list of items found in Salazar Slytherin's personal collection with a sigh.

"What kind of help, Harry?" Tracey asked now really curious after she heard the entire list.

"I need your help to either sell all these to responsible people or in the worst case scenario dispose of these items in its entirety." Harry was thinking that if his friends could sell these then he will not have to get involved at all, so to keep his involvement under tight wraps.

"Harry, then I will take all wandlore related items and sell them accordingly to Ollivander under the right price. And the Phoenix and Griffin Eggs too, because the Ollivander family own magical farms for Magical creatures which is where he gets the necessary magical substances for Wandlore. And we can split the money equally." Tracey was thrilled to earn some money for her family, because her father was a ministry official and he was the only source of income in the family and her mother was disowned, so her mother didn't inherit anything from her family.

"I don't want any money Tracey you can keep the entirety you earn for yourself. But you will have to promise me that they won't go to the Black-markets at _any_ cost, that's all I ask." Harry said with a smile surprising everyone. At this Tracey gave a huge grin, because then she wouldn't need to share and at the same time she would make her parents proud. And maybe raise her family's status from middle class to upper middle class little did she knew that she was underestimating the value of the items.

"Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate it." Tracey said and was about to take the items, but he stopped her.

"Tracey, wait. I have designed some very safe ways for you to transport the items and I will provide them to you in a minute, so please be patient. And I need one egg from both of each species of Phoenixes and I will keep them safe, while you can take the rest." Harry had already designed pouches for each and every one to transport the items safely. Harry on the other hand wasn't going to lose the opportunity to get his hands on such items which he could research later on. Tracey nodded in agreement, but when she was going to ask him what the way was to transport them and why he needed two Phoenix eggs, but Daphne cut in.

"Harry, then I will take all the Dark objects and the Potion ingredients. These Potion ingredients will be enough to make up for my mother's disappointment in me. And as you mentioned that the Dark objects are not to go to the Black-market at any cost, so they need to be sold to Dark object destruction section or to the department of mysteries in the ministry and you would need perfect negotiation skills to do that and I can convince my father to do that for us. And besides this will fetch my father a fortune from the Ministry if negotiated carefully…" Daphne had a genuine smile on her face that Harry would trust her with all these items to sell without expecting anything of fair value in return.

"Good Daphne, but I don't like the idea of this going to the department of mysteries, but maybe I can make some arrangements and pull some strings that they are not misused in any way." Harry replied and gave a nod to her with a smile.

"Daddy has a friend who works as a Dragon tamer and he has many friends who would like to get the Dragon eggs. I can take all the Eggs to my Daddy and he will be able to sell them, as they are perfectly preserved. Even if they aren't, my uncle works in a magical museum in Sweden and he would like to have them. And I promise that I will tell Daddy to not to sell them to Black-market dealers." Luna was still a little enthusiastic about the whole issue as she and her Daddy will be happy to help Harry.

"Thank you, Luna. I'll get you all the Eggs properly sealed for you to carry easily." He gave her a nod and gave a brotherly smile and Luna smiled back in return.

"Harry can I have a few sword from the pile of Goblin made weapons? Gran would like to have some Goblin made battle swords, because she loves them. And she has been trying to teach me sword fighting, but it is not going very well, so this may help me get into her good graces." Neville asked him a little nervously.

"Sure Neville, there are twenty six swords and a collection of various other weapons in there, so take whatever and as many as you want…" Harry nodded and gave his permission to his friend.

"Thanks Harry." Neville replied with a broad grin on his face.

"Harry, what happened to the books? And why are you so keen on emptying the entire place? And are you sure those eggs are still alive; I mean they have been here for over a millennium. And what are you going to do with the dead snake that is lying around? And what are you going to do about the remaining Goblin items?" Daphne furrowed her brow in deep thought, because she had so many more questions to ask, but she decided to ask Harry when she they were private.

"Daphne, Hermione and I need those books as it is in Parsletongue, so I am the only one who could read it and translate it. And I want this place empty, because next year we are going to use this place as our official battle studio for duelling practice. I have a plan to get rid of the Goblin items and the snake, so I will do it this summer." Harry said hesitantly, because both the Slytherin girls would love to have the books which once belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself, but surprisingly both the girls took it fairly well.

"And about the eggs, I have to agree, Salazar Slytherin was indeed a genius. The man used an obscure form of blood-based preservation charm that is specifically designed in a way to keep it homeothermic and alive, but dormant enough for the eggs to not develop or hatch. I can't explain it in detail without going into a lecture. But I have to say that the man must have been extremely brilliant to do this in late-ninth century with no such details that we have now at hand. And besides that, items like the Dittany Stalk, White River Monster spine, Rougarou hair and Wampus Cat hair are all exclusive wand core materials that were not discovered or used until early 20th century and to think that Slytherin knew of all this during a millennia ago makes me think what kind of genius he was." Meanwhile Hermione who was silent through the entire trip was impressed by Harry's knowledge and reasoning, because she too had doubts if the eggs were indeed alive.

"Hermione get me the bags…" He asked to his girlfriend with a smile and Hermione immediately took some pouches that are all under 'undetectable extension charms' and various other security features and gave it to him.

"Okay guys, listen carefully. These bags are etched with runes and when we place all the items in here it will sustain the items in its current state. But the side effect of the runes is that, they will only recharge if they are in the magical atmosphere with enough magical density in the air like Diagon alley or Hogwarts. If the runes doesn't recharge then you need to get rid of the items within three months from now or else the runes will fail." Harry warned and hoped that they would get all the items to the right people, because if this works then Griffins and extinct species of Dragons and Phoenixes will indeed thrive again in this world.

Harry transfigured a broken stone slab into various egg holders of various sizes which were big enough to hold all the eggs and he also transfigured an encasing lid that would protect the eggs. After that he made stone holders for the dark objects which cannot be simply stored in a bag, as they weren't sure what the objects could do. He placed the necessary items into a pouch and handed them to Luna as she was most excited one. Then he did the same with Tracey and while he stored the bags for Daphne and Neville, he did it carefully and arranged the items and placed charms to ensure the items' safety.

"Okay guys, now as our business is over, let's get back. But we are not going the same way back; we are going to take a different route. First route will take you behind the Gargoyle statue in the Dungeon Corridor, the statue is displaced enough for a person to squeeze through out. Tracey, Daphne you both should always use that exit always in the future, as it is near the Slytherin dorms. And don't worry about the security, as I have already warded the statue with runic circles which are powered by the school's magic which will actively cast 'notice-me-not charms' and 'confundus charms' strong enough to make Dumbledore fuddled. But a person must be very close in proximity with the entrance for it work so always be careful at all times. And it is also a one way out. You both can use it get out of the chamber, but not get in, we have other ways for us for that and I will show it to you next year. Meanwhile the rest of us will be using the next exit which leads to the trophy room in the third floor, they are hidden behind two pillars and all the additional instructions I gave Daphne and Tracy applies for us too." During the conversation Harry slowly led them to the right side of Salazar Slytherin's sculpted face where there was a crack stone entrance which looked like an equally cracked boulder with steps inside which ascended straight to the top. There was another cracked stone entrance with stairs which curved to the right and move in a different direction, but still upwards to the top.

"People follow Hermione; she'll lead you to the respective places and will show you how it's done." He waved his hand motioning for Hermione to continue, but she looked at him confusedly.

"What about you, Harry? You are coming with us, right?" Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes looking at his curiously.

"I have some things to finish up and then I will seal the other entrance and meet up with you in 'the room'." Harry said casually with a smile while waving his hand off and not stressing the last word, but Hermione picked it up nonetheless.

With that none of his friends questioned him further while Hermione kept giving him suspicious glance, but eventually agreed and led her friends through the substitute entrance. He immediately took out his wand and pointed it on a random pillar of the chamber and with a swish a runic circle started to appear with a fiery carving. And the circle ended and a runic circle was etched into the pillar. And then he took his miniaturized firebolt from his pocket and enlarged it wandlessly and nonverbally. He mounted on his broom and flew higher into the rocky passage exit which led to the mountains outside of Hogwarts. All the while he placed subsequent runic circles on the passage walls which were secure enough to not break or fall down. After placing all the runes he flew down and reached the chamber floor after that he shrunk down his broom and charged the main rune he etched first.

Once that was all done he walked out through the official entrance while he let the chamber entrance be kept open, but he closed down the main entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and let the wards on the door fall and with that he walked out. He draped the invisibility cloak on himself and opened the Marauder's map and activated it with the password. He saw that Draco Malfoy was still waiting for him and he was genuinely surprised by the conviction the boy showed in this. A mischievous grin marred his face and with that he walked to meet the blonde haired ferret.

He walked towards the stairs under the protection of his cloak and when he saw a figure under a pathetic attempt on a 'disillusionment charm' which he saw through the very moment he came near the stairs. He took out his Blackthorn wand and immediately sent a stunner which laid the ferret down cold and then he transfigured Draco's dress into a pink frock and tops and then he casted a 'memory charm' and flawlessly erased anything suspicious he found in the ferret's memory. For the next ten minutes he used Legilimency to penetrate into Draco's mind to learn everything about Draco's family and parents just in case for a future reference. After that he muttered 'enervate' and revived the blonde ferret and with that he casted a single powerful 'confundus charm' on the dazed blonde. After that he used his Legilimency and instructed Draco to _'walk around the castle and show your pride to everyone'_. And when Draco started walking with a glazed look on his face he laughed for a while and started walking to the 'room of requirement' to meet with Hermione.

* * *

 _ **Astronomy Tower-**_

Albus Dumbledore was gazing into the setting sun and the tower was giving him an incredible view. He was thinking of many things, but his thoughts often wandered to one Harry James Potter and this was one such occasion. Sitting in his office wasn't helping him anymore, when the portrait of the former Headmaster Dippet and the Sorting hat was often lecturing him about his _'rather unhealthy interest in the boy'_. Last two weeks of teaching D.A.D.A gave him a good opportunity to observe the boy carefully and he saw something most people missed. He saw a form of completely ruthless anger that often surfaced in Harry's eyes whenever Mr. Malfoy made some scathing remark about Ms. Granger. Harry was extremely protective of Ms. Granger which often resembled to his father's protectiveness of his mother. And according to him James Potter and Lily Evans were the most perfectly matched couple he had ever met. And even when they were in school it was rather clear to him that Severus Snape never really had a chance with Lily. But Severus Snape turned out to be a very valuable tool when it came to dealing with Voldemort, so he used Snape wisely and he will only dispose of him when it becomes necessary.

And he also noticed that Harry wasn't like his father or his mother, while Harry had their talents, but not their playfully gentle personality. Harry wasn't a Stag or a Doe, he was a Wolf. A 'Wolf' born to a 'Stag' and 'Doe', the boy was born a predator and right now he was learning how to hunt. A predator similar to him, he could understand now, why he couldn't control or manipulate the boy. The only thing he could do now was to guide the boy to his best of abilities and mould Harry to succeed him to be the next 'Leader of Light'.

But just like any teenager Harry is immature and naïve and Albus could see that robbing of the boy's remaining innocence was an unforgivable crime. But if he has to make Harry to be the next Albus Dumbledore then he will have to be hardened him through pain, suffering and agony. Harry Potter required his guidance and he will give it to the boy even if the boy was unwilling to want it. But Sirius Black must not be the one whom Harry should turn to counsel for, but simply removing the Marauder forever or even temporarily would make the boy to close off completely. So turning Sirius to his side using immoral ways was a necessity and it was the only thing he could honestly think off, so he decided that it was for the greater good.

And since he came to that conclusion, he also understood the reality of sending the boy to the Weasleys will not be the best course of action. Some promises have to be broken and some people will not get what they want, but it is for the greater good. Because Harry Potter is a predator and he will undoubtedly tear apart the family like a child with candyfloss. But before that he will have to show that he was still the alpha of the pack to make the boy follow him and he knew that will not work for long, because he was simply too old for this.

" _It is time to get Sirius Black on our side, but I will wait a little longer just when the time is right. Severus must be the one to subdue Black that would keep him sated for a while. Yes, for the greater good, this must be done."_ Albus Dumbledore mused impassively as the sun hid behind the horizon and the darkness of the night fell upon the land.

* * *

 _ **Examinations-**_

The next week passed too fast for their own liking and the exams were upon them very quickly. On sixth their exams began, and on that very day they had 'The study of Ancient Runes' and Arithmancy and on the very next day they had Transfiguration and Charms.

The day started with 'The Study of Ancient Runes', which according to Hermione should have been a full theoretical exam. They sat in classroom 6A while 'Professor Babbling' distributed three papers to each of them and each had diagrams of runic systems which he easily recognized as the basic alarm ward, a magical trigger and locking charm represented in runes and was asked to recognize and decipher it. Being a master in the art of magical runes and especially when he learned the art by deciphering and breaking rune system embedded in security wards made him a true master in the art. He liked the subject, but disliked the class because everything was theory and now he was genuinely excited to show his skills by deciphering the diagram of magic rune system. This may have been difficult to decipher for mere thirteen year old students, but he once broke wards which would incinerate people if triggered by people who don't have the correct cipher access. This didn't include various other jinxes and hexes overlapping the magical stream system and not only had that he usually did this on daily basis. So the three diagrams were nothing, as he flawlessly deciphered all three diagrams and completed within four minutes and waited another four minutes to submit it still setting up a speed record.

And with that he was out of the class, but he waited outside for his girlfriend to finish. He expected her to join him within ten minutes at most, but he waited there for almost fifty minutes and she finally came out as the second person to complete the exam.

"What took you so long?" Harry asked with an annoyed look on his face as he stood outside the classroom for forty minutes.

"The question is how you completed it in eight minutes; we had to endure 'Babbling' babbling about your flawless accuracy in deciphering for the last hour. And you do know that you completed exam within eight minutes which is the fastest a student has completed in over a century." Hermione gave him an exact same annoyed look and he returned a sheepish grin.

"Well you know; I got a little carried away." Harry grinned while scratching the back of his head while looking at his lovely girlfriend.

They started walking to the next class which turned out to be transfiguration, but Hermione started asking him about how he solved the diagram easily.

"Harry, how did you decipher it so quickly?" Hermione asked him seriously and curiously.

Harry took out his wand and cast a 'Muffliato' on their robes and then he said, "Well you know in the field it is absolutely necessary to disable the security wards around a compound before you attack. But you have to do it within a matter of minutes in the least or else you will be dead before you can draw your wand, so I learned to disable it in close successions in a matter of seconds. Honestly today I am disappointed in myself that it took me two and a half minutes to decipher three basic runic systems and write it down in paper which in total took four minutes."

"FOUR MINUTES? You actually did it in four minutes and waited for the next four minutes to give the paper back just to avoid suspicion…" Harry was glad that he cast the silencing charm on their clothes or else everyone in the castle would have heard it, but he cut her before she could start ranting.

"Hermione, remember that I had mastery in the 'Art of Runes', so it actually was a necessity to do it that quickly. You have to do it much faster than this in the field or you will die and it was just basic rune systems nothing complex, so honestly it is not that big of an accomplishment." Harry said quietly like whispering it to her with a smile.

Hermione was silent for a few minutes contemplating what he said, but started again with an entirely other topic, "What I can't understand is that why did professor Babbling gave us a runic diagram to decipher…?", and this caught his attention.

"What do you mean?" He asked back at her curiously as he adjusted his glasses.

"Last time she gave us a dozen questions regarding runes and their characteristics and told us to answer it, so why the change?" When Hermione finished, he was filled with curiosity, so he asked her.

"So you mean that this time things are changing, like day to day things. Not some very drastic changes, but even if it is small then it still triggers the 'butterfly effect'." He mused out loud and Hermione nodded and she said.

"We should make notes of all the changes we have made until now and what that are happening as a result of it and then we might have a better picture of what may happen." Hermione suggested seriously and he nodded.

"You are right. And that is probably the best idea. And I honestly don't know what I did to deserve you." He gave her a sly grin which suggested flattery.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Potter. And to answer your other question, you waited for more than two decades, so I think we can find something to do today, can't we?" Harry's smile widened as she gave a slight graze on his hand with hers and smiled back coyly. With that they headed to Transfiguration class.

* * *

 _ **Upcoming weeks-**_

The next two weeks were tiring in the least, but all their exams of the years were finally over. Transfiguration exam consisted of practical demonstration of the Draconifors spell, transfiguring a Teapot into a Tortoise and then a Hedgehog into a pincushion and finally giving a detailed answer of the uses and the nature of Animagi transformations. They flawlessly did what they were told, as he changed a nearby statue into a 'Ukrainian Ironbelly' using Draconifors spell. And he performed the other two also very easily and flawlessly, so did Hermione, so much that he was sure that they would both get an 'Outstanding' in the paper. Daphne had no problem with transfiguration while Tracey told them that their study sessions helped her perform better in the exam. Neville told them that he did very well in transfiguring the items, but his tortoise had a slightly shiny shell on top. Luna said that her exams were very easy and she had no trouble in anything.

Charms exam was fun because he used the 'cheering charm' on Neville and 'freezing spell' on a conjured rabbit. And finally he used 'Reparo Maxima' and mended everything that was broken with a single wave of his wand and he did it non-verbally. He did this by copying Dumbledore's act in professor Slughorn's house back in sixth year last time around and professor Flitwick was clearly impressed with him. Hermione told him that she did exceptionally well in charms and he wasn't surprised, because he knew that his girlfriend was extremely brilliant, skilled and her wand perfectly fitted for her use of charms just like his mother's wand.

Arithmancy exam was difficult in standard and according to Hermione the questions she gave were far more difficult than last time. She gave long and hard essays regarding magical number history and uses behind such numbers. The exam wasn't difficult for them, but he used his Legilimency on Hermione and instructed her to make it look like they too struggled to complete the exam. He did this to avoid suspicion, because professor Vector was very observant and she usually found their unusually high skill in the art as suspicious.

'Care of Magical Creatures' exam was a joke, because Hagrid just like last time told them to keep a Flobberworm alive for an hour. Last time he was very happy for the easy exam, but this time he found it useless and boring. He loved the gentle giant and respected the man for his talent in handling magical creatures, but that doesn't mean that the giant knew how to conduct an exam. But he didn't know if it was his lack of enthusiasm or the experience due to handling more dangerous creatures like Dragons, Chimaeras and Basilisks, maybe it was both but honestly he didn't care.

Potions exam didn't change much, because Snape told them to brew 'Confusing Concoction' within an hour's time. And as usual he shined in the art much to the genuine hateful chagrin of Snape and he did it so perfectly that he completed the exam with forty four minutes time and he got the potion to be its perfect light blue colour. He gave Snape no bloody way to deduct marks from him in any possible way. And even if Snape did try to deduct marks, when the paper goes to the external evaluators hired by 'the board of governors' of Hogwarts then Snape will get fired for misconduct in professionalism or in the least case scenario will get a black mark in his Potioneering record. He also heard from Daphne, Tracey, Neville and Hermione and as a matter of fact they all got it to perfect potions again much to chagrin of Snape. Snape didn't care about how his Slytherins did and he most grudgingly agreed that both Granger and Potter were prodigiously skilled in potion. But Neville Longbottom besting his set level of difficulty was unacceptable, therefore he decided that it was time to increase the level again to make sure that Longbottom and other students from other houses apart from his suffered in his class in the upcoming year.

Astronomy, Herbology and History of Magic exams were overly easy for him, Hermione and all of his friends. Neville was exceptionally talented in Herbology and he was genuinely happy that his friend could shine in a subject. Luna too said that her exams were going very well and she too did well in charms, potions and Herbology, but had a little trouble with transfiguration and D.A.D.A. And they assured her that next year she will do it much better and gain 'Outstanding' in everything.

While he noted that Hermione was right, because almost all the exams changed this year either drastically or maybe a little when comparing it to the events in their last timeline. So he agreed that things were indeed changing, but it was changing now and it took three years for changes to happen in daily life scenario, so maybe he had a little time or no time at all. But eventually he decided to keep his eyes open because he only had a layout of what may happen, but he also had a gut feeling of how must will change.

* * *

 _ **Exams at an end-**_

They were walking out of D.A.D.A exam; which was a great disappointment for him and Hermione, while for Neville it was easy. Unlike Remus's exam last time which turned out to be an obstacle course which was fun and productive, this time Dumbledore's exam was a spell demonstration. They had to pair up with someone and he would cast a spell and the other would use a shield while in the next turn the other would cast the same spell he would have to use a shield. The spells to cast were 'Freezing spell', 'seize and pull charm' and 'Orbis jinx', he paired up with Hermione and successfully cast the charm and defended himself perfectly and so did his beautiful girlfriend earning a fake-proud smile from Dumbledore.

Comparing both Remus's and Dumbledore's exams gave him a good idea of what's happening. Dumbledore wanted to know what he was capable off and the old fool played a rather clever game to know of his skills.

"Harry, Hermione, I am off to the common room. Dean and Seamus are waiting for me, are you both coming?" Neville asked in a little hurried tone.

"No, Neville we are off to the library, our exams are over and we don't have classes, but I still have a few things to refer, so don't wait up for us." He had other plans regarding the evening so he dismissed Neville. Neville nodded gratefully and went off with his friends, while he turned to Hermione and gave an intense look which said business and she in turn nodded to him exasperatedly and followed him as he walked.

As they walked he took out his map and activated it to make sure that no one was following them, and he didn't turn it off. With that he took the moving stairs ascending to the seventh floor, but Hermione was getting impatient.

"Harry, where are we going?" She furrowed her brows in frustration, because her muscles were aching after three long stressful weeks.

"To the room of hidden things, we have an item to retrieve from there…" Harry slowly snaked his hand into hers and gave her palm a short squeeze.

Hermione relaxed into his touch and looked at him curiously, "Is this item what I think it is…?" She drawled out without completing the sentence.

"Yes, it is. And we have to get it before we go for the holidays which are going to start in a few days." Harry was cool about the whole situation. But Hermione was frustrated and too stressed to even look for a darn tiara that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Harry we still have a week till the end of year and you have Quidditch match to practice. Can't we look for it later?" Hermione said in a tired tone which he picked up instantly and started thinking. Hermione had a plan to use her tiredness to get Harry to do something for her, so she set her plan into action and smirked knowingly.

"Okay, after we get the diadem, I will give you a soothing massage for thirty minutes." To this her face brightened, but it disappeared and a mischievous look came to her face.

"Double or nothing…" She said firmly while her lips twisted into a thin grin. Harry's face darkened a little and he gave a small glare, but sighed and nodded in agreement. And she immediately smiled brightly and within an instant she became the epitome of excitement.

They reached the seventh floor and walked in an 'L' shaped route from the 'room of requirement's' direct entrance and reached the other entrance of the room. They both stood before it and thought about the entrance and the huge door appeared. They pushed opened the door and entered it and saw all the junk hidden there.

"Harry, do you know where its correct location is…?" She asked with a groan seeing the size of the huge room.

"No, but I am sure that I can remember it once if I see the place again." Harry replied back with a reassuring smile, but she still had an annoyed look.

"From that look I am assuming that you don't remember it either?" He asked her as she gave him a small glare, but shook her head negatively. But on the inside she was laughing out loud, because she will be getting the massage much sooner than later, because she remembered where it was.

"If we visited the place last time without the whole place engulfed in fire, then there is a chance that I would have remembered it, but now I have no idea where to even start looking. I suggest we split apart and look for it separately, and then we will cover a lot more." Hermione just wanted to find the diadem and enjoy a hot massage from her boyfriend.

"I concur, we should split apart." He agreed with a nod.

"I will take right and you take left." Hermione said hurriedly and started walking. But he caught her hand softly and when she turned he said.

"Be careful." And to this she smiled and gave him a small peck to his lips and continued walking.

He slowly started walking to the left of the entrance looking at many things that were dumped in the room. There were many items, but no books because every single book was in the other version of 'the room of requirement' at all times due to his long-lasting request and that version of the room was heavily warded, so that none could find it. After half an hour of walking around he still didn't see any place that resembled the small table with the box which had the diadem in it. At this point he didn't care anymore, he was simply taking in the sights and walking around, but suddenly he heard a din and he turned only to see white mist covering the whole place and it started projecting images. He stood there in stunned shock when the images started to roll like a movie.

Hermione had a vague idea where the diadem was, so she instantly started looking where she thought off. And within ten minutes she saw the table and box on top of it hidden under big ropes. The beautiful silver goblin made diadem with a blue oval shaped sapphire embedded in it. She immediately took it and then she stuffed it in her backpack and walked to find her boyfriend who was obviously looking for it in the wrong direction. She was walking to her boyfriend and she saw him in a distance standing very still like a statue, so she hurried to find him, but when she reached him she saw him staring into a white mist which was projecting images. But when she started to pay attention to the film she was shocked to her very core.

* * *

 _ **Memories-**_

 _The rolling images in the white mist showed the images of a future Hermione before her marriage with Ron. It was sunset in the park and this park was near a lush green forest, she and Ron were sitting on a bench that was near the trees of the forest and were surrounded by flowers of all colours. She was laughing loudly while Ron was tickling her viciously and soon both fell into an embrace while Ron kissed her forehead._

She remembered that day; it was that day when Ron mentioned to her that he wanted to marry her one day. She was so happy that they slowly walked away from her apartment to the nearby park where they had fun. That park held a lot of fond memories which she made with Ron and Rose.

 _But the film continued as the view of the same memory changed to sideways look as she saw Harry standing deep in the forest behind the trees with a red rose in his hand. From his position he could see her giggling self with Ron straight ahead them. But image-Harry was in a dark shadow of the forest so he was invisible to them. And when the image-Harry saw her giggling self with Ron, he slowly crumbled into the ground with the support of the nearby tree while tears freely falling. And when her image-self fell into the embrace with Ron, image-Harry stood up with a great difficulty and brushed off his tears and placed the red rose which was in his hand gently on the ground and smiled weakly at them. And with that the image-Harry turned around and walked away from them and then disapparated away with a faint pop._

She stood behind Harry who was still staring into the mist-film, and then it became obvious that it was a memory. Harry's memory, but why was he watching his own memory, she didn't understand. Before she could muse any further the film continued cutting her off of all ensuing thoughts.

 _The next memory started playing and the scenery changed into an afternoon with the sun at its peak. Image-Harry was standing in the moor near the burrow with water up his feet, but just under his knee cap. Image-Harry was fully hidden behind the long golden-yellow grass that almost glowed under the noon sun. Image-Harry slowly moved the grass with his hand and saw her image-self in a white wedding costume with laces near Ron who was wearing a white tux with a rose in the pocket standing in the alter. The ceremony ended soon and Ron and she kissed deeply, after that the dancing began, while she started dancing with Ron with the entire Weasley family clapping around them. And slowly one by one her and Ron's friends and various other guests showed up and greeted them and she was smiling the whole time while Ron looked at her lovingly._

 _Image-Harry stood there watching silently, tears where threatening to fall as it was brimming in his eyes. But he didn't cry as he simply kept watching, he stood there for hours and finally it was evening and the sky darkened, but he still stood there watching. Finally she and Ron walked out of the burrow hand in hand laughing loudly and they were wearing a normal muggle dress and the entire Weasley family was there sharing both hugs and kisses. And in the end both she and Ron hand in hand just apparated away still laughing, while image-Harry stood there and watched and just as they left tears started falling, but mere minutes later he forced a sad smile into his face and turned away and walked and kept walking until his feets hurt and eventually the memory ended._

It was her marriage ceremony; she never even noticed that Harry was standing there for the entirety of it. And she never even invited him for her marriage, because she was angry at him for cheating on Ginny and thought of him as the-coward-who-ran-away. A piercing pain came to her heart, to see Harry's memories from his point of view. She would never be able to guess how painful it must have been for him to simply stand there and watch her being happy with Ron while he was in constant agony. Harry never had a family, didn't have the proper upbringing, didn't have much of a childhood, didn't have good friends and finally he had nothing to live for. He was always in constant pain and he always had problems that couldn't even be counted as normal. But even through all that he lived and fought for what he had every single day and to think that she thought of him as 'the coward' for eight long years even after knowing him for nine years made her sick.

 _The images changed again and this time the scenery turned to St. Mungo's hospital where her worn looking image-self wearing hospital gown and was sitting in the bed with her hair untied and bushy and messy as ever. She had a joyful smile on her face as she was staring at a bundle of cloth in her hand. The bundle contained a red-haired small baby, it was her Rosie and Ron was sitting beside the bed and looked at her very tiredly. But he managed to give her a kiss on her lips and she returned the kiss and turned again to stare at her baby-girl. The entire Weasley family was standing around looking at her and her baby with huge genuine smiles._

 _But none noticed a man sitting on a bed opposite to her under a clever illusion and notice-me-not charm, while giving them a sad smile. Image-Harry's smile was genuine, but his eyes were devoid and hollow with no emotion or no hope in them, it frightened her to no end to see him like that. Slowly the unwanted and uninvited guest walked away after giving a final glance at her image-self and moved away through the door and disappeared._

* * *

And with that the entire image strip ended and they were back in reality. She stood there for what felt like eternity, she was at loss for what to think. But eventually she hid her tears and slowly walked behind Harry and stood next to him, and she noticed that he still hadn't noticed her. She didn't understand what was happening, but it was obvious to her that it was showing Harry's worst memories and fears to him. She turned to look into the white mist and suddenly the mist started to take shape and it turned into an intense looking thirty year old Ronald Weasley with a long cane in his hand. And it caught her breath and she started shivering and shaking. Meanwhile Harry was broken out of his trance with a rough shiver and when he noticed an older Ron he became both confused and amused, and when he noticed a shaking and shivering Hermione beside him it became clear to him, _'It's a Boggart and Ron is her worst fear'_ he thought.

"Riddikulus." And then the fierce looking Ron turned into a juggling clown. With this Harry's anger sky rocketed for no reason and he shot a red hot curse which came out due to all of his anger and hate and the Boggart was no more. The shape shifting creature turned into a mist and dissipated away into thin air and he grinned sheepishly due to the spur of the moment reaction.

And with that he pulled the crying Hermione into his arms and held her until she calmed down. She caught hold of his shirt and shook him roughly and comically, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING…, why didn't you….?" She broke down.

He held her tighter, and when she calmed down lifted her head and she looked at him. He simply looked at her with a cool look like nothing ever happened, "Yes, it still hurts and yes, I was shocked. But I am not an idiot to dwell in the past and besides everything is fine now, isn't it, so why should I bother with the past?"

"The Boggart showed us your memories, right? But a boggart shows a person's worst fears, not memories. So does that mean you have no worst fears other than losing me? Even if I am flattered and believe what you say about how you don't care, the memories tell otherwise, so you better give me a straight answer. And I want to know why you didn't tell me anything last time around?" Hermione asked fiercely due to her boyfriend's dispassionate response.

Those memories haunted him for a long time, during the years in the wild and during the first two years after coming back in time. He finally made a decision that he would never let it get to him, because now he had a real chance to prove to her that he truly loved her. He finally had hope for his future, what more could he want? After that decision every anxiety, stress and insecurity decreased both mentally and physically, eventually it stopped bothering him in dreams and thoughts. It became similar to a bad dream, something he would learn from but won't ever forget; but that would no longer control his life with fear.

"Hermione, you were happy with Ron, I couldn't just ruin it. You deserved happiness more than anyone, you were the reason we all survived in the first place and all we ever did was save you from a troll. And you repaid it with your loyalty and help for all those years, so you deserved something better than me. Taking your happiness away from you was unforgivable and if you got it with Ron, who am I to ask. And I never would have been able to give you that happiness that Ron gave, even if it was only a brief a time. And if my life is what it takes then it is a small price to pay." He just wanted to make it clear to her; he would care for her more than anything and always. As his love for her grew throughout the year, his greatest fear was watching Hermione with another man like she was with Ron. But he loved her so much to the extent if she thought that she wouldn't get the happiness she deserved from him and choose someone else then he would not forbid her or ban her. Instead he will be happy for her, and if it causes him to endure the same pain again, then he would do it in a heartbeat, even if it killed him.

"Well to answer your other question, one must desire something first to fear for it and I don't desire anything more than a happy life with you. So the boggart showed me my own memories and well that is the only theory I can come up with at the moment." Harry replied nonchalantly.

With that he placed his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close and started walking to the entrance, he could search for the diadem later. And then they opened the giant door and they walked out and he wished for his usual version of room, just so to give his girlfriend the massage he promised her. He subtly placed a 'Muffliato' and 'notice-me-not' charm on them wandlessly.

"Harry, why are we going inside again?" She asked now clinging onto him like he was her lifeline.

"To 'the room' of course, I still owe you a massage. And trust me you need it, the bloody diadem can wait." Harry replied again in the same carefree tone.

"How can you be so cool after what happened? We need to talk right now." Hermione made it clear that she was the one who was going to be making decisions.

"Mione, I came to terms with it a long time ago. And trust me when I say this, Snape was great mentor and example. I learned from him that; if the woman you love marry someone else then deal with it and don't expect her husband and son to be dead, not so you can have a chance at her. Don't worry my love, everything is fine and I will answer all of your questions, but nothing says that you can't ask questions while enjoying a massage." Harry replied with a kiss to her forehead.

"Harry, I already have the diadem." Hermione deadpanned.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because we have a few hours before dinner, so it can wait." Harry replied back like he didn't care, while Hermione kept giving him a suspicious look, but he ignored it and kept walking.

And with that they both entered 'the room' and he began giving her the massage.

* * *

 _ **People you may be wondering why I ended this chapter like that and there is a reason. A message told me that my character building wasn't upto notch, so I decided to include this. And also this will help a great deal in setting a background for the future chapters. And if it is not too much trouble please tell me what I missed with the entire 'Chamber' debacle. And I am willing to make changes in the other chapters too, so if you find that I missed anything then I will gladly make the changes. With this the year ends and the fourth year will be coming up shortly and 'Lord Moldyshorts' will be making some appearance.**_

 _ **I am still open to suggestions for other pairings. Neville/Luna and Sirius/Amelia is confirmed and I will be making the entrance for the latter of the pairings stated above. And most of all people please remember this; I was not so sure about Harry/Hermione/Daphne pairing in the first place and now I have decided against this, so there's no reason for you people to tongue-lash me anymore.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and Dumbledore bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for his work.**

* * *

 _ **Department of Magical Law Enforcement-**_

It was late night Amelia Bones was the only one left at the DMLE, while all the other staffs were already gone after a busy day of work. Amelia Bones was a shrewd, stern and stubborn woman, who gave no heed to nonsense. She regarded herself rather highly for her quick thinking, awareness, aptitude and impeccable professionalism. That didn't mean that she wasn't good with her wand, she was a skilled and motivated duellist.

She was born in a pureblood family, a family with no whatsoever blood purist ideologies. When she was barely in her teens she tasted the true horrors of a wizarding war first-hand. The wizarding war first claimed her father and then her mother and one by one she lost her brother and his family and at the end of the war she and her niece were the only ones left of her family. She joined with the DMLE as an Auror just as soon as she graduated from Hogwarts with her perfect N.E.W.T scores, because she wanted to contribute something to fight evil like Voldemort. She made use of all the opportunities she got to learn how to fight, and finally being an Auror gave her the stage she required to perform well. She ascended through the ranks of Aurors within a matter of few years despite her young age. As a result, within five years of joining she was one of few senior Aurors both in skill and in seniority.

When the war ended and Barty Crouch Sr resigned from his post as the head of DMLE and she was unanimously voted by her peers to succeed as the head of the department. But she knew that it was only, because Alastor Moody decided not only to not want the job and also to retire from active work. So just as the war ended she became the youngest woman head of DMLE ever in history. By the time she took the mantle she was a prodigiously skilled witch, who was said to be strong enough to bring down Bellatrix Lestrange in a full out duel.

Currently she was in her office looking at a muggle photo in which Sirius was hugging her from the side, she and Sirius were wearing muggle costumes to blend in better in the mundane world. It was taken during one of their secret dates in muggle London; she suggested that they go to mundane world for a date, so that none would recognize them. It was one of the happiest memories she had of him and it was one of the dates that she truly enjoyed.

Due to the circumstances in her life she never had the chance at a normal teenage life or had the time to interest herself in boys, but even then she had a slight crush on one Sirius Black during the last year of her school life. She was two years ahead of Sirius and his gang of troublemakers, so she never had the chance for anything during her school years and it was slightly inappropriate. She was taking her N.E. , when Sirius Black became the most sought out boy in school and just like any teenage girl she too was interested in the most popular boy in school. But she was mature enough to know that her silly crush won't develop into anything more and she never really considered Sirius as a good boyfriend material. Her crush died just as soon as it came, because when she graduated from Hogwarts, she joined the DMLE as an Auror and while working there she began developing her sense of stern professionalism and donned herself a new mask.

It was through Remus Lupin a good friend of hers who she got to know over the years, did she learn that Sirius's home life wasn't exactly welcoming and that behind the handsome mischievous prankster there was a boy with insecurities just like any teen. After that conversation she started closely watching Sirius whenever possible and as time passed she saw through his façade, but even then she didn't consider him a quality boyfriend material. But when Sirius joined the Auror corps three years later, surprisingly or unsurprisingly he became interested in her and he made it clear many times. But fraternizing among colleagues was frowned upon and especially during war times it was considered taboo.

Sirius Black and James Potter were thick friends even when they were in the corps, so having a decent conversation with Black was considered impossible with the presence of James Potter. And when James Potter married a year later after joining DMLE, he matured and became a responsible adult and that was when she got the chance to get to know Sirius. She soon became a good friend and colleague to him, because she was overly impressed by his skills as an Auror. After five months of subtle hints and teasing around he finally asked her on a date and for some reason she agreed and to her utter surprise their friendship progressed into something more exclusive very quickly. And a mere month later after their very first date their relationship became official, but they decided to keep it a secret.

Sirius was very considerate of her baby niece Susan whom she was looking after, and despite this their relationship grew strong and so did their feelings for each other. Tragically just three months later, their relationship was over, because one day she woke up to find that she was alone in bed and that very morning she heard the news about Potter family's death and Harry Potter's story. And merely a week later Sirius Black was arrested for betraying the Potters and for the murder of Peter Pettigrew.

She hated herself for letting her silly crush to progress into something more that eventually led her to fall in love with Sirius and putting her only family in immediate danger. She wanted to kill him for deceiving her, so much that she expected to testify against him during his trial, but the trial never came and that got her curious. And immediately after the end of war, when her anger subsided enough for her to think rationally and when she became the head of the DMLE she wanted to request the Wizengamot for a trial for Sirius, because deep down she still hoped that he would be innocent. But eventually she decided against it, because it was a gamble and that it would have tarnished her name if her judgement turned out to be wrong and she was entirely convinced that Sirius was a deceptive Death Eater. She concentrated on her job and on her niece Susan and she reminded herself not to lose what she currently had, in an attempt to gain what she lost.

In the brief relationship that only lasted for three mere months, she wanted to believe that she saw the real Sirius, but her logical mind didn't accept that fact and eventually she started hating him. For twelve years she went on dates with many men, but subconsciously she compared every single one of them with Sirius and none came even remotely close to being considerate and adjusting as Sirius was. Twelve years and many numbers of hours she spent on trying to forget and hate him, but every effort she took was undone that day in Leaky Cauldron, when she learned the truth. Her guilt choked her and she was truly sorry for Sirius and disappointed at herself. And to know that she could have taken the risk and gambled and she would have ended up being right irked her to no end. And due to her selfishness she ended up leaving Sirius in prison for twelve years and that was enough to push her into a mental depression. She needed time to adjust to the fact that Sirius was not the ruthless cold-hearted mass murderer as she led herself to believe and instead he still was the compassionate handsome prankster she once knew. It took her the entirety of a year to come to terms with that fact. And now she was finally ready to face him and there came the problem, because now she was genuinely mad at him for being stupid and ignorant.

She was fuming internally, because when he came to her office a month ago, she expected him to at least try and talk to her about their relationship which was at a standstill, so she expected him to officially end things permanently. But he had the gall to come to her and request her to use her influence to get him an international portkey, which she somehow agreed to, and for what reason she agreed to that she didn't have a clue. And now she was looking at the int-portkey(large ring) that was on the table which she would have mailed him under normal circumstances, but this wasn't a normal circumstance, hence she decided to deliver this to him in person and give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts (The Room of Requirement)-**_

"Ahhh…., a little…to…the…left, Harry..." She moaned as well as stammered between breaths. Harry's hands were amazingly removing all the knots that were on her back which was giving her so much discomfort, which she didn't even know that existed until now. She had to agree that he was good at this, because right now if they were having some _'other kind of physical activities'_ instead, this action would have definitely caused her to lose control of herself both in mind and body.

Harry on the other hand simply smiled and shifted his hand a little to the left and continued to massage her, but on the inside he was dreading of how to have an awkward conversation with Hermione. Because he literally had to force her to lie on the couch to start his massage, when she started to press him for answers on what happened earlier in 'the room of hidden things'.

Another twenty minutes of moaning and groaning later, he stopped the massage and sat beside her on the couch to relax as he was tired. Hermione on the other hand was feeling very relaxed and physically satisfied than ever, because of the lack of intercourse her thirty year old mind craved for, but at the same time her fourteen year old body wasn't ready for turned her grouchy. She turned around and lied on her back and placed both of her legs on her boyfriend's lap. Harry automatically started to rub the sole of her foot and gently started running circles on the sole. She relaxed into the couch a little more and sleep was almost upon her, but suddenly she remembered something about their previous conversation and wondered if Harry was trying to make her sleep so he could postpone the conversation. She opened her eyes to analyse Harry's reaction and when she saw his face, it became clear as he looked relieved that she was going to sleep. A mischievous part of her told her to make him sweat before asking the right question.

"Harryyyy…where did you learn how to give a proper massage..?" She drawled out, while stretching herself in an eliciting manner which was making him lose his self-control, but he held on to himself if only barely as he was dreading such a question.

"I had extensive practice with other women, during the few trial relationships, which worked out just like I expected it to…" He tried to reply nonchalantly, hoping that Hermione wouldn't care about his past relationships.

" _Of course he's had other relationships, why didn't I think of that before? Wait…a…minute didn't he tell me before that he hadn't been in a relationship for a long time, did he lie? If he hadn't had a relationship in the future then did he have it after coming back while I wasn't here? No, Harry meant about it in a rather general way, so that's a no."_ Hermione mentally ranted to herself, because she was getting overly uncomfortable and furious of the idea of Harry having other relationship behind her back.

"Relationships…? What relationships?" She asked him in an imposing, but clearly in a curious tone. Because until now she was under the impression that Ginny Weasley was the last relationship Harry had in a long time.

"Nothing exclusive really, Mione. Simple one week to one month kind of relationships." He replied evasively, but Hermione wouldn't have any of that and pushed further.

"Explain…"

"Eheh huh, well…it's quite a long story." Harry asked back faking a dry chuckle and a fake humour to hide his reluctance.

"We have time…" Her response was immediate and decisive and he knew that he had no chance but to explain. Hermione sat up on the couch still with her legs on his laps and sat facing his side and seeing that she was getting ready for a story, he adjusted slightly and sat comfortably holding her legs softly.

"Okay, I will explain, but don't expect me to repeat it again." He didn't want Hermione to judge him with his stupid actions.

"Deal…" Hermione agreed immediately.

"After speaking to my parents and Sirius via the 'Resurrection Stone' I was depressed. I learned the truth about Dumbledore's manipulations and Snape's foul goals regarding myself and mum. My inability to handle situations and my stupidity to get manipulated and my incompetence to understand who was on my side and who wasn't; didn't help one bit to lighten my situation. My viewpoint on the world changed after that, I felt like…., like I needed to find myself again and that I need to live my life freely upto my desires and not others'. So the next eight months went by very fast, so much that I can barely remember anything of value. My classes with the tutors I hired served as a good distraction, while I spent the money I had like I went barmy and I picked up some nasty coping habits and…." Harry was interrupted by a very concerned Hermione with a tinge of curiosity and interest.

"What kind of nasty coping habits?"

There was a long pause, Harry was in deep thought whether to divulge things to Hermione or not. Because he was frightened about the possibility of her rejecting him after knowing his flaws, "Those aren't really necessary, Mione…" but before he could continue she caught hold of both of his shoulders and stared into his eyes and said.

"Harry, you tell me now, or no more snogging or cuddling for an indefinite period of time." Hermione threatened him sounding stern but with more a comic meaning behind it, because she was afraid to ask about his past relationships. She genuinely cared about him and was afraid of the possibility that this would cause a rift between them, if handled carelessly was unnerving for her. Harry gulped at her threat and moved away from her grasp and finally decided to take a leap of faith and tell her and hold nothing back and he did so.

"Coping habits like smoking, drinking, and substance abuse and having intercourse with random women, where even their names were unnecessary… Eight months this went by until one day I got visitor from the ICW who said that I am to be initiated as an active member in the ICW committee and that I am invited to the Christmas ball conducted in 'Uagadou School of Magic' in Uganda, Africa. The visitor was a witch named 'Alina Mashkov' she was a Ukrainian witch in her mid-fifties who resembled more of Professor McGonagall. She was very appalled by my habits and the condition of my apartment in Brighton. Unsurprisingly we had an argument when I rejected the invitation and when I told her that it would be a waste of my time to entertain political bureaucrats. It only escalated after that and finally she said that my parents would be ashamed of me and I hotly replied back by telling her that I didn't care what my parents thought, because my parents were never there when I needed them the most. With that she simply said that if I didn't attend the ball then I lose the once in a lifetime opportunity to become a member in a prestigious organization like the ICW and also that I am letting my parents down and with that she left. Are you with me so far?" Hermione simply nodded not knowing where this conversation was going, but not wanting to stop him in middle.

"A month later I went to the Christmas ball against my better judgment, and I ended up being initiated into the organization as an active member. The whole point of the Christmas ball was to make new contacts and build new friendships and join sides of different political agendas and to have fun. It was like a grand political playground where the competition is as fierce as it gets and the competitors are from all over the world. It was there I met a few ambitious witches who were more than willing to be a one night stand if it was enough to make an impression on me and I owe them a favour in the future. They didn't care for my well-being and instead didn't expect me care for them either, it was purely physical with various ulterior motives on both the sides. ICW members meet once every month just to spend money on wine and argue over magical world's politics. So if you attend three to four consecutive meetings then you have officially met every member of the organization. They forgot to mention that new members need not to attend every single meeting; as such I ended up attending every single meeting for the next year and half. But the good thing was that I made a lot of friends and got many new contacts. And I used that opportunity to meet women and started taking them out on dates and started roaming around the world and with my trans-continental apparition license, it became easy to travel." He paused for a moment when he saw the scowl on her face and he honestly didn't know how to react, but fortunately no questions came.

"I took those women on dates trying to forget you and for the next two years everything was fine. Until one day Kreacher came in search of me and told me about your marriage with Ron. I knew that you wouldn't invite me, but I needed to know if you were happy, so I came that day to watch you. And I was right you were so happy that I couldn't imagine taking it away from you. From that day onwards I never considered any relationship with any woman and I completely avoided women for almost everything, unless and until it was a completely professional issue." Her features softened a little and she gave him a sad smile as it hurt to think that Harry went through all that for her and she wasn't there to comfort him or give him the happiness he deserved and a little sad that Harry hid this from her in the first place.

"And that's how I learned how to give a proper massage." He said with a dry chuckle trying to lighten the mood, but failing spectacularly and since Hermione's obvious questions were all answered, she wasn't angry anymore.

"But Harry, then why do you act so awkward around girls, you are borderline inept when it comes to social meetings." Hermione asked suspiciously, because if Harry was as experienced as he claims to be then he had no reason to be embarrassed around them.

"Hermione, what we are dealing with now are teenage girls, no…fangirls, not women, you just cannot have a friendly and meaningful conversation with them even if it was necessary, and especially if it is me in the question. And as I said before when you asked me the very first time, I am not socially inept I am just unwilling." He shed light into the issue simply putting an end to all of her doubts.

Hermione felt relieved, because she didn't have any more doubts on Harry's personal life. This story gave her enough pieces to solve a puzzle about Harry's emotional behaviour. She knew that Harry would never betray her, so she didn't have to worry about Harry's past relationships being a problem.

"Hermione, I've told you almost everything about my life in general, but I've never asked anything about your life after and before Hogwarts. I didn't ask you because you were recuperating and healing from your abusive marriage with Ron. But I often wonder if you had any feelings for me last time around or were it only after I told you about mine." It wasn't a question; it felt more like a request to her. But she needed time to sort some things out before answering that question.

"Harry, I still need a little time, but I will tell you eventually…., now let's go to dinner." With that Hermione stood up and almost ran out of the room. And he smiled amusedly and understood that it was her subtle way of saying _'drop it'_ and he wasn't known to be clingy or too forceful and he certainly wasn't going to become one now, and to be frank she frightened him to his core, so he happily followed behind her to the great hall for dinner.

* * *

 _ **12 Grimmauld Place (Ten o'clock at night)-**_

Sirius Orion Black was a busy man, as he was taking care of the Black family businesses since he was exonerated from his illegal imprisonment. Now he had a godson to take care of who will be coming home in a few days and they will be having their first official vacation. Last few months since his exoneration was exhausting, because he had to take care of years of neglect of his family fortune and businesses. And he had to do some major modifications in family rules and regulations and some major expansions in his business, so it required for him to travel a lot.

He tried to talk to Amelia on many occasions to apologize to her for his stupidity, but every time he tried she would outright ignore him, so he guessed that maybe she wanted nothing to do with him and so he let her be. He utilized the last few months wisely, by spending time in therapy for his twelve years of imprisonment and medical sessions for his physical aspect and he practiced many spells with his original wand which the ministry returned back to him. He locked out Bellatrix Lestrange from the family and all direct and indirect access of the Lestrange family members to his resources and vaults. He did the same with Narcissa Malfoy and the Malfoy family and he reinstated Andromeda Tonk's status as a pureblood Black back into the family tree. And after that he settled her rightful share of Black family fortune which she would have gotten in an arranged marriage and also a house that belonged to the Black family. He spent a lot of time with Andromeda and her family and with Remus trying to catch up on all the things he missed.

He retrieved his old motorbike 'Royal Enfield' from Hagrid and modified it magically with the help of Mr. Weasley to which he paid handsomely for. He put some anti-theft, shrink, alarm, braking and anti-crashing wards on it for safety as well as thrill-seeking. He convinced Remus to move in with him, but Remus only came to the house during full-moon days for the underground cellar and when he needed a drink after a stressful week of work. Remus always had a room prepped at all times just in case he needed it for an emergency, but still Remus spent most of his time in his parent's house.

Sirius was currently sitting in the kitchen with a bottle of firewhiskey while savouring the taste slowly. He was thinking about many things, Harry his godson would be coming home soon, and Harry will be spending his best summer vacation this year. For the last few months he had planned everything for his godson's arrival, the house was painted in royal blue and every dark item he found in the house was now in the basement and he had a surprise for his godson when he comes from school. And all he needed to do was to wait for Amelia to mail him the int-portkey to him and the surprise will be confirmed. Without the presence of the bigoted elf in the house, the mood of the house lightened infinitely. Sirius had dragged Kreacher to the front door and ordered the elf to never set foot on any black family property directly or indirectly or even at the order of another master and then gave him some clothes and freed Kreacher. He simply slammed the door close when the bigoted elf started wailing about how he had failed his mistress. Kreacher always badmouthed Remus whenever he came to the house and refused to serve Sirius on many occasions, he found no use to have an elf that doesn't work even if Harry defended the elf dearly.

He was broken out of his thoughts when the fireplace started to burn lightly and flickering, he immediately understood that someone was asking permission to get into his house. He decided to grant permission and took his wand out and gave a wave and suddenly Amelia Bones walked out of the fireplace in green flames.

"Ame…, I mean Madam Bones, it's just you." Sirius sighed and lowered his wand and took another swig of his firewhiskey. Suddenly he was pushed back and he fell on the floor by a 'knockback hex'. He groaned in pain due to his rough landing and he was dazed due to the firewhiskey which didn't help him either, he slowly stood up as he got his bearings and when he stood he noticed that Amelia was pointing her wand at him.

"Just me? Sirius Orion Black, you come back from prison and you meet me officially for the first time and you have the gall to ask me for a favour?" Before she could continue Sirius interrupted her.

" _You_ didn't even want to look at _me_ , _you_ ignored _me_ , and what else was I supposed to do? I assumed that you didn't want anything to do with me, so I moved on." Sirius defended himself before Amelia could make any more sordid accusations. Sirius slowly sat on the chair and Amelia took the opposite and once they both were seated Amelia started talking.

"You left without a word, not one bloody word. One morning I wake up and I hear Susan crying in the next room and I find that I am alone in my bed when I was expecting _you_ to be beside _me_. Do you have any idea of how much grief you caused me? And that day had just begun, the situation worsened, because merely an hour later I got a message from the ministry saying that the Potters were dead with the exception of Harry Potter and that you were on the run. One week later you are captured for killing all those muggles and Pettigrew, I was expecting a trial and that never came and you were shipped straight off to Azkaban. And when I became the head of DMLE, you were branded as a traitor and as a mass murderer with the public calling for bloody murder, so even thinking of the notion of requesting a proper trial for you was considered a political suicide for my career. I admit it, I was weak and I didn't have the guts to try that and now I know how wrong I was and I regret it, but what did you expect me to do, hope that you were innocent and gamble everything I worked for my entire life on a notion of doubt?" Amelia was out of breath when she finished her angry rant, because she was frustrated about everything and angry at herself.

Sirius sighed and leaned forward on the table and kissed on her lips, she was stunned into shock so much that she didn't respond. The kiss ended soon and Sirius had a grin on his face while Amelia was somewhere between genuine happiness and ice cold fury. Before he could say anything her instinct acted and she sent an 'impedimenta jinx', which froze Sirius and then she took some deep breaths to calm herself down and once she was calm enough she released him with a glare.

Sirius simply sighed, because he was trying to spark something between them. It was true that he moved on and he could simply date anyone, but the idea of being in a relationship only brought out memories of Amelia. Somehow his mind personified her as the symbol for a healthy relationship and he couldn't imagine it with anyone else. He knew trying to get her back was a long shot, but still it was worth a try. But unknown to him Amelia was deciding whether to pick things up from where they left it or completely sever everything between them.

Sirius began with a sigh, "I know that we didn't end our relationship properly, as such can't we just try to pick it up where we left off?"

"NO, I am not going to make it that easy for you. You have twelve years to make up for and once you have made up for that, then I'll think about continuing our relationship. And before you ask, the reason you ended up in prison was because you chose _not_ to divulge any information with me in the first place." Amelia said with a barely visible rare smile on her usually impassive face, while poking on his chest with her pointer finger in an apprehensive manner. But before Sirius could retort they were both cut off by a knock on the door.

Sirius looked at Amelia in a confused manner, because he was surprised by someone coming through the door and not through the floo and at this ungodly hour. He walked to the front door and he viewed through the spyhole and saw Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape standing outside. Now this only confused him even more and he idly wondered what Dumbledore and the old bat Snivellus wanted from him. His eyes widened immediately when he realized Amelia was in the house and he was going to meet with these two with her in the house, and he was sure that it would expose their not-so-normal relationship into public eye. Then he remembered that they were not in a relationship, so technically they don't have to hide anything, but in the end he decided to consult with Amelia regarding this, because she was the one with better brains. He immediately dashed to Amelia and asked, "Are we in a relationship at this moment?"

"No!" Amelia looked both confused and curious of why Sirius would ask that question.

"So is it okay if Dumbledore and Snape found out about us?" Sirius asked a little disgusted when he uttered the dungeon-bat's name.

"Absolutely not, last thing I need is Dumbledore snooping around." Amelia almost screamed at him, but he held his arm up and silenced her.

"Okay they have come to see me for some darn reason that I don't know and they are waiting outside right now, so use the floo an get out of here and we will talk tomorrow." Normally Amelia would've done just that, but Sirius Black was literally kicking her out of the house and that thought made her furious, so a scowl came to her face and she replied.

"Listen to me carefully Black, I am not postponing ' _our_ ' conversation any longer, we are finishing this tonight no matter what, is that clear?" Amelia caught hold of Sirius's shirt and she roughly shook him and asked with an angry expression etched on her face and he nodded his head vigorously in agreement due to genuine fear.

"Okay, so hide inside the pantry for five minutes, I will find a way to send them back as fast as I can." Sirius said hurriedly.

"Why can't I just hide upstairs?" Amelia asked obviously.

"NO, there are things upstairs that I have been trying to research and enchant; so don't go upstairs." Sirius said it out loud in a hurry.

"Who is up there, Sirius?" She asked in a dangerously low tone that downright scared him to the core.

"Amelia trust me, the last place you want to be is upstairs." With that he pushed her slightly into the pantry not waiting for her agreement, while efficiently hiding his fear for the impulsive woman.

"Five minutes, FIVE minutes…one second more and I will come out, I don't care what they think. You better find a way to send them back within then." Amelia warned him decisively, because she didn't like the idea of sitting in a cramped up place for long periods of time and he gulped and gave a nod.

With that he led her into the small storeroom and quickly closed the door. Amelia immediately took her wand out and started warding the place so that the guest wouldn't find her hiding in the place until she reveals herself, which was actually more of an occupational habit. With the wards in place, she placed a monitoring charm on the keyhole so she could see and hear what was going on clearly, if they are in close proximity. Sirius meanwhile took the bottle of firewhiskey and gulped down half of the bottle in one go and with that he walked to open the front door. And just as the knocking grew more frequent and louder Sirius opened the door in a drunken daze and stared at Snape and Dumbledore.

"Sirius, may I come in?" Dumbledore asked in his regular grandfather-like tone.

"Sure!" Sirius said with a nod and let them in.

Sirius turned around and directed them into the kitchen and started walking, while taking another swig from his bottle and asked, "What can I do for you, Albus?"

"Nothing Sirius, you have already done it." Before he could turn around and ask what Dumbledore meant by his statement, he felt being hit in the back by a 'full body-bind' curse which snapped his legs and arms to his sides and he fell face first on the floor. Dumbledore had his wand out and Sirius took the full effects of the curse which left Sirius binded on the floor.

"Severus, search the house for the signs of anyone else and secure the place and position the security charms at respective places." Dumbledore issued an order and then the Master Potioneer immediately went upstairs to check for anyone.

Almost ten minutes later Snape came back into the kitchen and searched the ground-floor for a few minutes and then said, "Place is secure Albus, there are Lupin's things in one of the room but it looks like he hasn't been in there for a while. All the security charms are set and in place, Albus." While both of them didn't notice the pantry door nearby the kitchen which had a powerful 'notice-me-not' charm placed on it.

Dumbledore gave a nod and turned to the Master Potioneer and said, "Don't worry about Remus I have him under control." And then he asked to his faithful tool, "So care to do the honours, Severus?"

"Gladly…" Snape said and looked at the struggling form of Sirius and continued, "Vengeance is sweet isn't it, Black?"

With that he pointed his wand on the prone form of Sirius Black and gave his trademark nasty sneer and said, "Imperio." Sirius struggled for a few moments, but then his struggling subsided.

"Legilimens…" Snape said again but this time the Potioneer was roughly pushed backwards.

"What is it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked in a half-concerned and half-curious tone.

"There is some kind of shield around him that is blocking me from entering his mind, Albus." Snape said with a scowl on his face and Dumbledore scratched beneath his chin and thought until Dumbledore's gaze fell on the black band on Sirius's ring finger and then he sighed loudly.

"The ring…, the Black family head's ring has several enchantments placed in it, I once heard Phineas Black's portrait boasting about the clever ingenuity of his family." Dumbledore immediately speculated and surmised.

Snape immediately went to remove the ring, but stopped when Dumbledore continued. "No, Severus, do not touch the ring. I also remember him saying about the security spells placed on it just in case someone tries to steal it. It is unwise to try and remove it without knowing what kinds of safeguards are in place."

"So what do we do now?" Severus asked as he kept scowling at Black.

"We proceed as planned; now give him the orders as we agreed." Dumbledore instructed and Severus immediately pointed his wand and said.

" _You Sirius Orion Black will agree to any kind of decisions Headmaster Albus Dumbledore makes regarding Harry Potter. You will convince Potter to trust us by you yourself trusting us unquestioningly. And finally you will not disclose any details about Potter's past or about his parents to Potter and make sure that you are unwelcoming to his presence in this house for the entirety of this summer and all the summers that follows. You will make use of the black metal goblet inside your cupboard every day both in the morning and in the evening."_ Severus finished with a flick of his wand and Sirius broke out of the trance. Snape immediately murmured "Obliviate…", and started working on memory manipulation on Sirius's mind.

Meanwhile Dumbledore waved his wand over the fireplace and connected its floo to the Hogwarts' floo network straight to his office while Snape gave the finishing touches to Sirius's memories via memory charm and put him to sleep. After that Snape took the black metal goblet and waved his wand at it and enchanted it to keep Sirius bewitched and under control. "Let's go, Albus!" Snape said to Dumbledore and with that the two idiots walked out through the front door, not to leave any evidence behind by going through the floo network which could be tracked.

Amelia Bones was furious beyond words, because not only was she interrupted by Dumbledore and his servant, she was also stunned to find that Dumbledore the supposed 'leader of the light' has resorted to such methods to gain what he wants. And more importantly Dumbledore also imperiused _her_ Sirius to gaining access to Harry Potter. She was angry at Sirius it was true, but she was always possessive of him, now some bloody wanker was trying control her Sirius for his sick and twisted needs. That didn't sit well with her, she promised herself that she will bring Dumbledore to the ground even if it is the last thing she does.

And just as the two intruders walked out of the door and closed it via a locking charm, Amelia stumbled out of the pantry. She immediately ran over to Sirius's prone form in tears, while crying out his name, she cradled his head and started to undo everything that they just did to him.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later-**_

The last few days had an air of joy, because the exams were all over and all students were enjoying the last days of the term. And Gryffindor house was in another celebration, because they won the Quidditch cup for the third consecutive time and Oliver Wood was especially thrilled about this. Oliver was going to try and become a professional Quidditch player after Hogwarts so winning the cup for three consecutive years under his captaincy was good for his record.

The match itself was simple, because the Hufflepuffs had an eighty point lead prior to the match so scoring the ninety points more than the puffs would have been enough. They had a strategy to score points which consisted of him stalling Cedric while his team works on scoring as much points as possible.

But their strategy didn't work as expected instead within the first hour they were able to score forty points while the puffs were just behind with thirty. Oliver immediately signalled him to catch the snitch and en the game, because both the teams' skills were equal. He raced with his firebolt and caught the snitch without much trouble and ended the game. At the end they were 190:40 and won with a good lead. This bagged them the Quidditch cup for the year and they will hold the cup in their possession for another year.

Meanwhile when the whole school was enjoying the final day in school before the vacation, Harry was not in a good mood. Because he had a gut feeling that something has happened somewhere and he was going to be involved in this regardless of what he wants. And his suspicions were proven true when he got a letter from Sirius saying that he they needed to talk in private.

Before he knew it he was sitting in a compartment in the Hogwarts express with Hermione, Neville, Tracey, Luna and Daphne. Tracey and Daphne simply said that none in their house would notice them being missing, because they were simply introverted and no other friends than each other. So they were all sitting in a compartment while chatting with each other, Hermione, Tracey and Daphne were talking about boys, or either Tracey was talking while Daphne and Hermione listened and added a few comments here and there.

"Harry, you look troubled." Luna said in a concerned tone while scrunching her face into a pout.

He turned when he heard his name being called and was snapped out of his train of thoughts. He saw that all of his friends were staring at him intently. He immediately put his hand behind his back and pulled out his blackthorn wand from his belt. And with a wave, the shutters on the window and the door were closed and he twisted his wand further in a circular motion and the wards were already set in place.

"Okay, I am going to have to check your mental defences via Legilimency and if I find it strong enough then I will tell you all some things." Harry replied seriously while keeping his face impassive.

"Neville get ready." That was all the warning he gave for Neville and he started his attack. Since he had eye to eye contact the attack was easy and to his surprise Neville was able to hold his barriers for a few minutes, but crumbled when he increased the power behind the attack.

He immediately averted his eyes from Neville's eyes and stared at Luna's and he immediately regretted that decision, because he got a huge headache. He stopped instantly and continued on with Tracey and Daphne respectively. Tracey was the only person whose Legilimency wasn't up to notch and all the others' mental defences were strong enough to detect both passive and direct attacks. While he already knew about Hermione mental defence, but it simply didn't feel right to isolate Tracey alone and tell all of his other friends, so he decided to wait a little longer to tell them things which his friends could help with.

"Tracey, I want you guys to work on your mental defences during this summer. And I will tell you all about it in the beginning of the next year, I am sorry." Harry told them and in return he got some frustrated groans from almost everyone.

"And friends don't forget to sell or destroy all the items that I entrusted you with and do it with extreme care and within the end of the summer." He said seriously and everyone nodded back to him. All knew how Harry acted when he was serious, so none bothered to interrupt him, because he would only get frustrated.

"Thank you for trusting me guys and putting up with me whenever I act like an arse." He said a heartfelt thanks to all of his friends and everyone smiled at him in return.

"Mate, don't worry about anything, everything will be fine." Neville assured him with a pat on his shoulder and he gave a smile and he nodded.

" _I hope it will be…"_ Harry idly mused to himself.

* * *

 _ **King's Cross Station (few hours later)-**_

The train stopped at King's Cross station and he, Hermione, Neville and Luna all walked out while Daphne and Tracey went to search for Daphne's sister. They got out and stepped on the platform and started walking with their trunks. Harry with his suitcase while Hedwig was flying from Hogwarts to home with Hedwig's shrunken cage was in his pocket.

Just as soon as he stepped out of the train he noticed that Sirius was among the crowd waiting for him. He also noticed the weary looks other parents were giving Sirius; he simply smiled and walked to his godfather. He walked straight to Sirius and gave a hug which Sirius returned.

"Well pup, I hope your ride wasn't exhausting, because trust me this day is going take the most of you." Trust his godfather to give him the most unusual of welcome, but he wasn't surprised as he kind of expected this.

"Well I didn't do anything that could have exhausted me, so no worries. Well let me introduce you to my other friends and officially reintroduce Hermione" he said with a smile and with a nod Sirius followed.

"Hermione, Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger, this is Sirius Black my godfather. Sirius this is Hermione my best friend…" at this Hermione smiled while Sirius looked suspicious at him, "…this is Dr Daniel Granger and Dr Emma Granger, they are Hermione's parents." Dan and Sirius shook their hands while Emma gave a smile which Sirius returned.

"It nice to finally meet you all, Harry has told a lot about you in his letters and especially about Ms. Granger here…" Sirius pointed out to Hermione to which she blushed and he glared at Sirius while his eyebrows were twitching in annoyance. And the elder Grangers simply smiled at his reaction, because they expected this sooner rather than later.

Then with that he introduced Sirius to Luna and her father Xenophilius Lovegood whom Sirius commented as an eccentric bunch. Then he introduced Sirius to Neville and his grandmother Augusta Longbottom, who immediately questioned Sirius extensively about his intentions towards Harry Potter. But they were saved by Remus who came and told them it was time for their next appointment, so he bid farewell to Hermione and his friends.

With that they walked out of the station and Sirius mounted on his Royal Enfield and wore his helmet and Harry followed behind him while Remus simply apparated away. With that Sirius started the bike slowly and moved through the road and then picked up speed and finally soared into the sky at breakneck speed.

Only one thing on Harry's mind, _"this is already the best summer ever"_ he silently mused to himself, as he screamed at the top of his lungs in his excitement. And Sirius increased the speed further in result to his screaming and the sky was filled with laughter and excited screaming.

* * *

 _ **I know it took too long, but I honestly couldn't speculate how Sirius and Amelia would converse. So I turned Amelia into an impulsive woman when in private, but the calm collected and shrewd woman while in an official setting. I always felt like Amelia/Sirius pairing was very alluring, so background information with a history behind them both was mildly required to continue the story.**_

 _ **And someone told me this was turning out to be a Snape-bashing fic and that I shouldn't bash him, because he was very good character. I agree that this is a Snape-bashing fic and it is only because I hate that character. Severus Snape is a character I detest and for some reason my neutral feelings for that character changed only after reading Deathly Hallows. Snape claims that he loves a Lily, but wants her husband and son dead so he could have her as a trophy, and don't try to deny that he wouldn't have tried to seduce her if Harry and James had died instead of her. And he abuses Harry from the very first day of school just, because he resembles his father something he had no control over. And all of a sudden he expects himself to be forgiven for everything he did over the years and be considered as a war hero. I don't think so…**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and Dumbledore bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for his work.**

* * *

 _ **12 Grimmauld Place-**_

Just as they reached 'Borough of Islington', Sirius landed the bike on the corner of the street and turned it off then shrunk it and put it in his pocket and with that they both walked to the door, Sirius gave a knock on the door. He and Hermione both knew about the house's location when they visited after sneaking around school's wards via the secret passages throughout the year, so he could already see the house that is under Fidelius protection. Remus opened the door and moved aside while Sirius walked in, but Remus stopped him at the door and asked in an almost commanding tone.

"Harry, give me your trunk and call Hedwig inside…" He looked at Remus in surprise, as if the man had gone barmy. After a few minutes of intent staring made it clear that Remus was being completely serious, as such he gave Remus his shrunken suitcase from his pocket. And then he turned to face the open door and gave a short low whistle and a few minutes later his Snowy White 'familiar' flew in through the door and perched on his outstretched arm and gave a hoot.

"How was your flight girl?" He asked to her and Hedwig in return answered by giving another long happy hoot and nipped his right ear affectionately, which he translated it as 'great'.

"Harry, will you ask Hedwig to follow me upstairs?" Remus asked and he nodded and told Hedwig to follow Remus. Remus walked upstairs with his trunk in hand and Hedwig on his shoulder. He turned to look at Sirius who was looking at him with exact same seriousness Remus had a few moments ago and now he was suspicious, so he stared back at him and gave him a scrutinizing gaze. He knew this has something to do with the 'talk in private' that Sirius mentioned in his letter, but the curiosity was killing him.

Sirius seeing the questioning gaze of his godson, decided to shed some light, "There has been a situation Harry, we are looking into ways to solving it."

"What kind of situation, Sirius?" He was now very interested, because whatever Sirius was trying to get out of him was definitely a serious matter, that much he was certain.

"All in due time, pup…" Sirius said and put his right hand around his shoulder and led him upstairs and showed him his room. He usually would have been at least annoyed about this, but since this was Sirius he was willing to wait for a while until the matter came to light on its own.

His room was big and cosy and it was furnished with a cot and a study table. There was a walk-in wardrobe on the left and an attached bathroom on the right side corner. His room was painted in a dark purple with white, but with greyish-black highlights on the edges.

"Sirius, where is my trunk? All my clothes are in there and I need to change." He asked looking at his godfather while Sirius simply pointed at the wardrobe with his eyes. He shrugged and opened only to find outfits of his sizes from both mundane and wizarding world, compatible for all climates and for all occasions perfectly pressed and hung inside the walk-in wardrobe.

"Sirius, I am impressed." He replied and chose a dress and a towel and moved forward to the bathroom to freshen up.

But before he could go in, Sirius said, "Today we will all rest and tomorrow we will begin our vacation, so look around and get used to the house." With that Sirius walked out of his room and closed the door as he left.

And he simply smiled and went inside the bathroom to freshen up. And he decided to use this opportunity to get Salazar Slytherin's locket by hearing out to the Horcrux's whispering that he could hear if he is in a close proximity to it.

That afternoon for lunch Sirius tried to cook lamb ribs, but the only thing that they got was charred black ribs with no meat. Then he decided that Sirius was rubbish at cooking, so he intervened and made homemade ham-sandwich and an Indian-style spicy ham curry with a recipe that he got from a friend of his in the future. His cooking skills got Remus and Sirius to shower him with praises and tease him non-stop about how lucky girls will be, because it has been a long time since they had some delicious home cooked meal. For Sirius because he was in Azkaban for twelve years and only ate in hotels for the last few months, while for Remus the man had no family and wasn't very good at cooking.

After a short kip Remus, Sirius and him all started playing exploding-snaps which went on for hours. Even if they played for hours, he didn't mind it and honestly he didn't want it to end, because he was enjoying the game and also the conversations with his godfather and surrogate-uncle was very exciting. They told him stories about how his father asked for a step by step instruction of how human anatomy worked, which was mainly to embarrassment his mum and how he got hexed in the face for it. And stories about how his mother had his father whipped and under her thumb when things did become exclusive between them, it was so apparent that his father whimpered like a puppy at times. Remus told him how they had only seen his mother only dating his father in her entire life, as much as they knew, because his father pranked all the other boys that his mother tried to date.

During the end of the marauders sixth year, his father apparently asked his mother on a date and after so much begging and grovelling at her feet she agreed, but their very first date was ruined, because his father was so jittery and nervous that he kept tripping and falling down. And after that whenever his mother tried to date other boys, Sirius and his father will target the said boy and would play pranks on them for weeks until the said boy begged them to stop. But as it was their sixth year and his father never played a prank for fun, apart from pranking the boys whom his mother would try to date, he even went as far to stop antagonizing 'Snivellus Snape'.

Every time his father did something similar his mother would confront him and in the end his father would get hexed anyway, but it never deterred his father from doing what he did. And this was how his father acquired his second date with his mother and his mother eventually agreed to the excessive begging, mainly to give his father a break. And it was also slightly, because his father was the second most sought out boy in school just behind Sirius and his father had the opportunity to date anyone else he wanted, but still he chose his mother and that somehow pleased her. Finally his parents' second date turned out to be successful and they were in friendly terms after that, his mother stopped scolding or hexing his father and started listening to his father's interests. And he also got to know that his mother made his father to not participate in an important Quidditch match in turn for their second date, and as punishment for botching all of her other dates. And by the beginning of their seventh year things started to heat up and it became exclusive between them at the middle of that year.

But unfortunately their conversation was interrupted at exactly ten o'clock when the fire in the fireplace blazed and simmered indicating that someone was asking for permission to enter. Sirius waved his wand and granted permission and much to his surprise Madam Amelia Bones the head of DMLE walked out of the fireplace into the house.

"What took you so long Amy, you were supposed to be here an hour ago?" Sirius asked as he gave a kiss to her cheek which she replied.

"I had to wait until Susan was asleep and she didn't go to sleep as she was watching some show in Telly, so I ended up waiting for the show to end. And Remus thank you for suggesting which television to buy, Susan was really impressed by my selection and I myself find this 'television' very relaxing after a busy day's work." Amelia said while Sirius led her to the kitchen table, where she took her seat. Remus, Sirius and Amelia all sat down while talking among themselves nonchalantly, but he was still in the process of recovering from shock, because it was obvious that Sirius and Amelia were in a relationship and that definitely changed many things.

"Mr. Potter, please take a seat." Amelia said and pointed to the seat opposite to her, he simply nodded to her and he did as she told him, he took the corner seat of the rectangular table with Amelia, Sirius and Remus to right hand side. Whatever this was that they thought that he was involved in it was definitely an official issue, he idly thought to himself.

"What is going on, Sirius? Why is Madam Bones here? Did you do something wrong?" He asked his questions in close successions, because he could no longer contain his curiosity.

"I know this must be confusing for you, Mr. Potter, but I need you to answer my questions as patiently as you can…" Amelia decided to reply and she did calmly and impassively in her usual business-like manner. If Harry hated something beyond anything was being kept in the dark and being thought of as a child who wouldn't understand anything.

"Okaaay…." He drawled out, with sarcasm dripping in his response which the adults noticed instantly.

"I want you to tell me about all the incidents that have happened in school or during your vacations in which Dumbledore involved himself either to help you or to assist you." Amelia asked in an impassive tone ignoring his sarcastic response. Just as Amelia Bones finished, he noticed that all three adults were nodding at him expecting an answer.

He was completely caught off-guard by this, because he never would have expected for these people to ask him about Dumbledore of all people. It was obvious that Dumbledore was caught doing something which obviously regarded himself and these three were trying to take the old-coot down. The man they were targeting was a master-manipulator with no equal, a schemer who left no loose ends for them to exploit and a man who never lost a fight, and always won in the most spectacular way just to show others that he could win. He was always very careful when dealing with the century old wizard who was very strong regardless of his old age and he acted carefully, because he knew how devious the man can really be. The only way to beat the man was to be anonymous and outplay the old-fool before he even makes a move, because if you become a target to attack, then you are by no means safe.

In a fight for power, the only way to bring Dumbledore down was to challenge him to a duel and either succeed in defeating him or kill him, there was simply no other way around that. And here he was sitting before three adults who have found out about some of Dumbledore's manipulations. He immediately used his Legilimency on Remus and Amelia, because he couldn't quite reach into Sirius's mind which was protected by something else that he couldn't understand. As he had direct eye contact between both of his targets, he read their minds fairly easily without them noticing his Legilimency probes. Remus's Occulumency was good, but just not enough to stop him, but Amelia Bones' mental defence was slightly inferior to Remus's, it was as if Madam Bones was out of touch with her skills, in any case it wasn't enough to stop his Legilimency probe. And when he understood that Dumbledore went as far as to 'Imperius' Sirius to gain access to him and his resources, he lost control of his suppressed rage and he stood up from his chair too quickly that he knocked it backwards. He turned to the kitchen sink and punched it in anger and smashing it in the process.

"So that bloody old-wanker went as far to cast an Imperius on you, huh Sirius?" He asked with an angry chuckle. All three adults were shocked beyond words, because none of them even remotely came to the topic and somehow Harry knew about it. They immediately surmised what they could, which was him being an imposter, so they pointed their wands at him.

Harry turned around only to find three wands pointed at his face, while questions being thrown at him simultaneously. Questions and commands like, "Who are you? Where is, Harry? Did Dumbledore send you? Answer us or you will suffer the consequences."

"We can sort this all out calmly without having to draw our wands, can't we?" His response only resulted in Madam Bones into moving further and taking hold of his right hand with her left and twisting his wrist and turning him around and pushing it behind his back. "Maybe not…" He muttered angrily, a few minutes later Amelia would have known that trying to manhandle Harry was a big mistake, because to them it looked like Harry reacted on an impulse.

Harry circled his palm around her wrist and twisted it and in a quick motion he moved backwards and pushed her into the table. Amelia's back hit the table roughly and he used her brief stumble and he pulled her wand out of her right hand with his left and freed his right hand. He ducked down below the table's height and dodged the two hesitant 'stunners' sent by Sirius and Remus, hesitant because of Amelia's close proximity to him. He turned around caught hold of Amelia Bones by her neck with his left arm and he casted a nonverbal and wandless 'body-bind' on her. As she was in close proximity to him the body-bind worked perfectly and he used her binded form as a shield to hide behind her from the others. He and Madam Bones were standing at the shorter side of the long rectangle shaped table, while Sirius was to right side and to the longer side of the table and Remus was opposite to him on the other side of the table. He was far shorter than her, so he hid behind her perfectly giving both Remus and Sirius a hard time to aim at him.

"We can sort this out and talk about this like adults, we don't have to fight amongst ourselves, let's just lower our wands at the same time." He tried to diffuse the situation before it could escalate any further.

"Not a chance, you lower your wand or we will fire." Sirius retorted back not believing him, because according to Sirius and Remus he was the one in the corner of the kitchen while Sirius and Remus were not. He knew that they had no real reason to trust him, but he wanted a good summer vacation and he was not looking for a duel to death with the two wizards he truly cared about.

He decided to take a leap of faith and give them a chance to let him explain, so he dropped the wand and just as soon as he dropped it he let go of Madam Bones who fell down still being in the 'body-bind', "I dropped my wand, so can we talk like adults now?" Remus and Sirius glanced at each other and gave each other a nod. Minutes later, Madam Bones glared at him when Sirius revived her, because he pulled a stunt like that on the head of DMLE, but he ignored her as he found the woman a little overbearing.

Remus caught his shoulder rather roughly and pushed him downwards to make him sit in the chair. Remus took a seat beside him with a gruff expression on his face while Sirius and Amelia both sat opposite to him while Amelia was still glaring at him; meanwhile Sirius was both unreadable and impassive.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Harry Potter?" Amelia began with her first question.

"I suggest you all get comfortable, because this is going to be a long story." He said and relaxed into his chair.

* * *

Two hours later, three exhausted adults were sitting in the kitchen and drinking firewhiskey. Harry was taking small sips of his tea, while the other three adults were drinking their firewhiskey quite lavishly, because all three had a massive headache.

For the last two hours he told them everything about the future and how he came back including the involvement of Hermione and her charm. None of the three interfered while he explained to them about his time-travel story; they just listened to all the details carefully. He told them about the upcoming school years and also about the upcoming calamity and then he told them about the war and 'the battle of Hogwarts', but he completed neglected informing them about the Horcruxes. Then he briefly explained to the adults about his life after the war. Harry convinced Remus by telling him about how he already knew how to do perform the 'Patronus charm' and the only reason for why he came to Remus for help was because he was in need of a valid cover to showcase his skills. And then he told Sirius about how he already knew about his innocence and waited for the right moment to get him exonerated, while explaining to Sirius about how he never got exonerated and died still as a wanted criminal, the last time around. This was enough to convince the two of his family members to accept his time-travel story. When Remus asked about whom Remus's wife was; Harry simply told that if he said who _she_ was then there was a chance that he will end up changing things and that wasn't an option. Sirius asked him of his own death and he bluntly answered back that it was his own fault and told him not to ask any more questions regarding that topic. But Madam Amelia Bones was not convinced of the story, so she decided to question him further.

"If everything turned out to be fine after the war, then why did you come back in time?" Amelia asked the logical question.

"Hermione…, she is the reason for 'how' I am here and she is also the primary reason for 'why' I am here. A lot of people died in the war Madam Bones. Sirius, you, Remus, Remus's wife were all dead…I simply couldn't find peace, because the guilt of all their deaths were weighing on me heavily, it was…haunting me, so to prevent that and find peace, I myself and Hermione came back in time." Harry wanted to explain it in detail, but simply couldn't find the words to do so.

"What's Ms. Granger's story?" Amelia asked, because Hermione Granger was a mystery, but she wanted to know if they could trust her. Amelia listened to Harry's story carefully and from that she could only portray Hermione Granger as a loyal friend who had been with Harry through everything in his life.

He slowly stood up from his chair and started pacing and began, "She is my most trusted friend and we plan everything together. As for her story, she was Mrs. Ronald Weasley and when her marriage fell out due to physical and mental abuse, she designed the 'time warp charm'. She initially planned to travel back in time to prevent her younger self from marrying Ronald Weasley. For the reason that she couldn't null the marriage, as Ron wasn't willing to let her go and Arthur 'the head of Weasley family' was under the control of his wife Molly, who didn't want Hermione to be independent again, due to the fear of her exposing the Weasley family's issues. Due to other circumstances in her life she couldn't simply run away into the mundane world to escape. She didn't want to become a burden to her parents who were well-off and she didn't want to put them in danger due to Ron's violent nature. It was sheer happenstance that I met her again after many years and we ended up talking and eventually she divulged her plans to me and she needed my help due to the strength and the size of my magical core to travel to the specific time-plane she wanted to go back to. In return for my help I asked for her to re-design the charm in such a way, so that we could come back very early in time, so that I can put an end to 'Dumbledore's machinations', 'Weasley family's involvements', 'Voldemort's plans' and also to the 'blood-purist ideologies' once and for all." Harry left out the key points in Hermione's life, so that they and the adults will be able to work with each other without any sort of discomfort or interference between them.

"Tell us about this 'Dumbledore's machinations' and 'Weasley family's plans' first, then we can talk about Voldemort and about those pureblood idiots, so that I can take care of them legally." Amelia said in a very excited tone to get some solid evidence on the old-coot and all the others who were breaking the law, so that she can imprison them forever in Azkaban.

"No, I don't want you to go after Dumbledore now, Madam Bones. You will have to go after him eventually, but just not now." He replied to Amelia and this earned him frowns from the adults.

"Mr. Potter, I do not work for you, I work for the ministry, so I do not take orders from you. Thus you will tell us what we want to know and we will handle it like adults." Amelia replied in her usual impassive and shrewd tone, she wasn't let some boy tell her what to do.

"What makes you think that I will let you three do it? You people are merely seconds away from getting obliviated, so give me one good reason why I should spare you three?" Harry bluffed in an impassive cold calculative tone which sent shivers on the three adults' spines. Sirius, Remus and Amelia all stiffened slightly and all three subtly went for their wands, but couldn't find them in their pockets.

"Looking for these….?" He asked sarcastically while showing his open hand which had three of their wands. Sirius, Remus and Amelia all tensed up and checked in their pockets and found nothing, but Harry lowered his hand and put them in his pocket indirectly meaning them no harm.

"Check inside your pockets now…" He said with a sigh, while shaking his head sideways in disappointment, surprising the three adults and they hesitated initially, but they checked nonetheless and were stunned when they found their respective wands.

"You three couldn't even detect a simple 'confundus charm' and see through a basic wandless illusion of three wands, this is simply fantastic. And you people plan on going after a person like Dumbledore?" He pinched the bridge of his nose while shaking his head in complete disappointment with sarcasm dripping in his response. He almost wanted to slam his head into the wall for choosing to tell these people who were clearly unready to handle situations this complex.

Amelia, Remus and Sirius were now stunned, surprised and awed by Harry's dexterity. Amelia got over her shock first and was embarrassed by the fact a thirteen year old boy was berating them. At the same time she was angry that a mere boy was mocking her skills which irked her. But still she decided to hear him out and be professional if she was going to work with this boy who definitely knew about Dumbledore and purebloods with prejudices. Sirius and Remus were still recovering from the effects of digesting that their Harry was from the future. They were getting more and more awed by Harry's skills and brilliance. They now came to terms with that Harry wasn't the replacement of his father James; he was a veteran hunter who came to save the world.

"Dumbledore is a natural genius with immense wisdom and a century of experience handling people of all ages. And above all that he has a borderline narcissistic character while he actively hides under the persona of a humble empathetic leader. The only way to win a battle of will against him is to be anonymous and never be a variable in the equation that he derives. If you must win then you should be the external factor that mutates the equation every time Dumbledore tries to set it in his favour. He should never know that you are after him, because if he does then he will destroy you…eventually. So at least listen to my warnings before you act." He finished with a warning, because he didn't want his godfather and Remus to die while he didn't care for what happened to Amelia Bones who obviously wasn't going to listen to his warnings anyway.

"What do you propose we do, Harry? And why don't you want Dumbledore imprisoned? Amelia can definitely imprison him if we have the right information." Remus asked curiously, speaking for the first time in the conversation in the last two hours.

"Yes, Dumbledore shouldn't just be imprisoned temporarily, he must be eliminated permanently…, and doing it _now_ is just not strategic. Voldemort will be back by next June if things happen just like it did the last time around. Anyway his resurrection is definitely close and if Dumbledore is not in the picture then Voldemort has nothing to fear. We will be making things easier for Voldemort; he will take over the ministry and achieve his goals far too easily, we definitely can't allow that can we? Secondly, both Voldemort and Dumbledore are dangerous adversaries in their own right; Voldemort is powerful and narcissistic, but predictable. Meanwhile Dumbledore is equally powerful and his methodologies are simply impossible to understand, and we always fear what we don't understand and his unpredictability makes him even more dangerous. And most of all you have a slim chance to make this work and you will be tipping your hand too early and that will be enough for Dumbledore to snivel out of this unscathed." He said it seriously and this made Amelia, Sirius and Remus to think carefully and it vaguely made sense. He saw their thoughtful looks and he understood that they could at least comprehend what he meant, so they decided to listen further.

"Right now, if you are going to charge Dumbledore and Snape for assaulting the 'Head of Black family', then it's just as equal to committing political suicide. Sirius doesn't have the support of the public, because of the persona of mass murderer which has been instilled in the public's mind for the last twelve years, which hasn't been undone yet, so they are going to be neutral at best. Then half of the members of the Wizengamot are purebloods or former death eaters who once supported Voldemort, they are not going to support Sirius just because he is _my_ godfather. Then the light families who blindly support Dumbledore and they definitely won't favour us, so there is a very high chance of Dumbledore weaselling out of this situation unharmed and untouched. And even if the pureblood families decide to support Sirius in order to discredit Dumbledore and the public decides to help the boy-who-lived's godfather, the old fool would simply sacrifice Snape and will get out of this situation. Because technically Dumbledore wasn't the one who cast the 'Imperius curse' it was Snape. Madam Bones your 'Veritaserum' testimony or 'Pensieve' memories will not count, because you are the one who is going to be building the case, and if the question arises of what you were doing in Sirius's house at that time of night comes out. Then they will deem you as emotionally exposed to the victim and your support will plummet in the best case scenario…, or the case will be thrown out in the worst case scenario. So there are various loopholes in your plan and Dumbledore has yet again left no loose ends for us to exploit." Harry finished with a sigh. Amelia had to agree that the boy was true, because she herself counted on the fact that the pureblood families and the public will support her cause to imprison Dumbledore. And she didn't even want to consider a scenario where the prejudiced pureblood families and general public not supporting her case, and she was sure that in such a situation Dumbledore would absolutely destroy her reputation and her political status.

"What I am trying to say is that, we have anonymity with us right now and losing it is certainly not beneficial. We can outplay him before he even makes a move and that is how we can tip the scales to our favour and for that we need that said anonymity and without it this will be very..., very difficult." Harry said calmly with a sigh and all the three adults nodded and understood what he meant while even Amelia was glad that the raven haired teen was on their side. Because now they had a source of intimate details regarding their enemies and it would help them immensely and the boy was certainly very skilled and she didn't want to know how strong the boy would be in his prime.

"Do you have any more questions to ask?" He asked in a very serious tone and Sirius slowly raised his hands and he gave a nod of consent.

"Just one Harry, I have been meaning to ask you this for quite a while now. In this future of yours did they at least introduce bikinis and thongs into wizarding fashion for witches?" Sirius asked very seriously while Amelia face palmed and Remus had a deadpanned look on his face.

"FINALLY…, NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL A USEFUL QUESTION!" He yelled excitedly with a sigh of relief and held his hand up in the air. With that Sirius and Harry high-fived and they both started talking excitedly, meanwhile both Amelia and Remus slammed their heads into the table.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

Remus Lupin was already having a headache, because Sirius and Harry were talking about various types of holiday destinations, but he simply couldn't comprehend the idea of talking to Harry like normal thirty year old blokes talk with each other. Last night was just as exhausting, because apart from Harry's narration of the time-travel story which was quite shocking for him, Harry and Sirius discussed about the advancement in women's lingerie in the future until they went to sleep much to Amelia's ire.

All three occupants of the Grimmauld place were leaving to go to the Gringotts bank. Sirius woke them all up late morning and told them to suit up; so that they can all go to the bank for some reason. And again the godfather and godson were talking like any other blokes who talk with each other and it was rather unnerving to watch. At first it was unnerving, but soon overhearing the conversation made him very interested and then he saw no reason to participate and soon he too was talking with Harry and Sirius.

Harry was easy to talk to and he was up to date about various things that were happening in the day to day life. Remus and Sirius felt like talking to Harry's father James when it comes to general topics, the three were finally bonding. At first it was quite awkward to talk to a physically thirteen year old boy about various adult bloke things, but after crossing the initial awkwardness it turned out to be easy. And also knowing that Harry was just like any thirty year old bloke in mind was enough to ease them up to cross the awkwardness. And that was what the general public saw in Diagon Alley; Harry Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin leisurely walking towards Gringotts bank while talking among them dispassionately about various mundane things.

They walked inside Gringotts' huge door and walked towards the head teller and Sirius began, "I am Sirius Black and I have an appointment with the Black family's legal representative, Mr. Hierggs."

"Spearhook show these men to one of the conference rooms." The head teller told the nearby goblin and the said goblin led them to a closed conference room and told them to wait.

"Pad, you never told us why we are here?" Remus asked a little curiously.

"You will know soon enough, mate." Sirius replied with a slight smile.

A few minutes later a goblin wearing blue suit and tie walked inside and took the seat across the table. They took the chairs opposite to the goblin and the said goblin began, "I didn't expect to see you on time, Mr. Black. Well you were one of the lively ones in your family, so I was expecting you to show up unscheduled."

"Harry, Remus, this is Mr. Hierggs, he is the legal Gringotts representative of the Black family and he has been as such for years. He helped me access my family vaults during the days when I was a convict." Sirius introduced the goblin representative to his family.

"Well my godson here must be rubbing off on me Mr. Hierggs, so don't be so surprised in the future. And now about the issue we discussed earlier, is there any way to proceed with this, Mr. Hierggs?" Sirius asked the goblin who was quite friendly with Sirius.

"Well Mr. Black, I do not see any other way for you to become the magical guardian of Mr. Potter here. And the only way is for you to make a legal blood-adoption, and doing that would make Mr. Potter your son under the eyes of magic. This is a much more easier and effective way to gain the magical guardianship for Mr. Potter without much _legal_ side effects." Hierggs replied to Sirius's request. Remus was the first one to understand what was happening, but he frowned because attempting to do a blood-adoption on a teenage boy is a painful process.

"But Padfoot, doing a blood-adoption on Harry would put a huge strain on his physical body at this age." Remus tried to protest to Sirius's plan, but Sirius held his hand up to stop any further protest.

"I know Moony, but it is the only way to gain guardianship of Harry and it is the only way to ensure that Dumbledore's meddling is put to an end, even if it is temporary." Sirius was being completely serious and Remus couldn't find any other protest, so he gave up. Harry was confused not because he didn't know what was going on, but only because why Sirius was doing it.

"Sirius, why do you want to blood-adopt me? You are my legal guardian by my parents' will, so there is no reason for anyone trying gain access to me." He asked in a very curious tone while scrunching face in confusion.

"No pup, my guardianship is only temporary; if the ministry decided that I am unhealthy to you then they can strip away my guardianship, not that they will do it for that specific reason. Your parents' will was sealed from the ministry Harry; only after so much of probing I got the Wizengamot to unseal it and I read it. Your parents' will can only get me so much authority regarding your life, so my guardianship is only temporary. If we perform this blood-adoption then I will be your permanent guardian both in legal terms and also being your magical guardian. This will put me and you out of any manipulation, so it is kind of necessary." Sirius explained a little out of breath.

"Okay then, what are we all waiting for?" He asked and in turn got a smirk and smile from both Sirius and Remus.

With that Sirius turned to look at Hierggs and the blue suited goblin nodded in understanding and took a few papers and a small plate with a sharp dagger and placed it in front of them. Hierggs walked out of the room and a few minutes later walked back in with a small flask which had a light transparent purple liquid in it.

Hierggs first made a nice cut in Sirius's palm and let the blood fall while the goblin collected the blood in the small clay plate and then with a wave of his hand Sirius's palm was healed. Then Hierggs used a dropper and dropped exactly three drops of the blood into the flask and the solution in it turned into a dark purple liquid due to the blood droplets. Then Hierggs cleaned the dagger with a cloth and then took hold of his palm and then cut a deep cross shaped cut on the centre of his palm, when the blood started falling Hierggs collected his blood in the same plate which held Sirius's remaining blood.

Once the small plate was almost full with blood, Hierggs gave him a cloth to clean the wound and he softly cleaned it. Once he lightly cleaned his cut Hierggs then told him to scrunch his palm into a cup and then Hierggs then tilted the dish and poured the blood into his cupped palm and then waved a hand over his and the blood started disappearing into his cut. And finally when the poured blood disappeared and with steam coming out of the cut as it healed until there was no scar.

"Drink this…" Hierggs said and gave him the flask which contained the dark purple solution. He gulped it in one go, the potion tasted disgusting, but he didn't care, he simply emptied the flask. For a minute he felt a stinging pain in his palm, but it subsided immediately and he felt fine.

With that the procedure was complete, "Now sign here…" Hierggs instructed and gave him a blood-quill and pointed at a document. He took the document and started reading and almost ten minutes of reading later he felt satisfied by the terms and conditions and then he took the blood-quill and signed his name ignoring the pain in his skin. Then Hierggs directed Sirius to sign the document and when Sirius did, and then Remus and Hierggs took turns to sign as the official witnesses for the procedure.

"Mr. Potter, you are now magically considered as 'Mr. Harry James Potter-Black', but changing your name in legal documents is up to you and you have to do it in your ministry. And from this moment onwards you are a legally emancipated minor and you will be able to access all of your Potter family vaults and funds. But you cannot be a member representing your family in the Wizengamot until you are at least sixteen even if you decide to wear your Potter family ring. The newly appointed Potter family account manager is Rotfang and he will be the one to help you handle legal matters." Hierggs finished impassively.

"Thank you, Mr. Hierggs." He said and the goblin nodded towards him and gave a look to Sirius which meant business.

"Harry, why don't you go and meet your account manager Mr. Rotfang, me and Mr. Hierggs have some things to discuss." Sirius dismissed him and with that he walked out while Remus was about follow behind him, but Sirius called Remus back in. He shrugged and proceeded to go to the main teller and ask for the goblin named Rotfang.

He asked the main teller and he was directed to another room which looked like the previous room. The door opened and another goblin, and he looked rather lean than Hierggs and walked in and said, "I am Rotfang, the Potter family account manager and a representative of Gringotts bank. What can I do for you on this fine morning, Mr. Potter?"

* * *

 _ **One hour Later-**_

Harry was walking to the entrance of the bank to meet with Sirius and Remus. He had a bag in his hand which was under 'extension' and it contained items like the entire collection of books in the Main family vault which he could open previously, but cannot take any items. It also contained the portrait of his parents which he was going to put to good use this summer. And he also took this as an opportunity to deposit the well preserved Basilisk eggs in his main vault.

He also got an appointment set for next week with Director Ragnok in order to sell the items that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin and also the sixty foot long dead carcass of the Basilisk in 'the Chamber of Secrets'. At first Ragnok was a little unsure, but when he mentioned about the huge array of Goblin made weapons and items that was perfectly preserved, it was enough to persuade Director Ragnok to agree with him.

On the other hand Rotfang made him wear the Potter family ring which would signify him as the head of the Potter house. As such he now had complete access to all of the three vaults, and so he asked for bank statements and found that his family businesses and shops were doing well and right now he had just a little over a hundred and seventy one million Galleons in his vaults (combined). After that he briefly fancied about the idea of stopping the monthly supply of two thousand Galleon deposit to the Weasley family vault, but then decided against it. Because stopping it now would make Dumbledore investigate into it and if the old fool finds that he was the one to stop it then Dumbledore will definitely find about Sirius being out of the 'Imperius curse'. And with that the best vacation he had until now will go out of the window before he can utter the full name of his old headmaster.

He also made sure to get the addresses to all of his assets which were in travelling distance range and also about the details of the safeguards that are in place around his assets, so to visit them all this summer. He also spoke to Rotfang suggesting to opening more profitable businesses both inside and outside of Britain, both in the magical and the mundane worlds and his account manager assured him that he will check for possibilities and contact him. With that he made sure to sign all documents for paying his taxes to the bank and the ministry. He also converted around five hundred thousand Galleons into pounds sterling (conversion rate: 1 Galleon = 6.5 Pounds) and transferred it into his muggle bank account that was under the name Harrison Evans.

He asked Rotfang if the Potter family ring had any security features and he was thoroughly disappointed to find that, the only security on the ring was its invisibility to unauthorized people and nothing else. And when he mentioned about the security options placed on Sirius's ring, Rotfang simply pointed out that Black family was simply obsessed about getting the best for everything and that Potter family was almost the opposite.

He was stopped out of his musing when Remus called out to him, "Harry, what were you doing in there for one entire hour?"

"Taking care of a few businesses, making some withdrawals and collecting some items, things like that…" He vaguely replied to his surrogate-uncle and both Remus and Sirius knew that it was not wise to push for more information.

He loved talking guy things with Remus and Sirius; it has been a few years since he had any kind of such conversations. He couldn't talk like this to Neville or other boys in school, but even when talking to Sirius, he had restrictions. But still it was a huge improvement from his regular fake excitement conversation with the students of his years.

With that they made it back home after going to a nearby muggle hotel and having something lavish to eat. They talked about various things during their lunch like three normal blokes hanging out. After lunch Remus informed them that he has to go back to his own home to take care of a few things before disapparating away.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took too long, but I am not free till this 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **, so I had to squeeze through the time into my busy schedule. After that I am free for a whole month, so I will be posting a lot more chapters the upcoming month. So please forgive me, as this is a short chapter compared to my previous chapters.**_

 _ **And here comes the reader's choice question, 'should Harry be involved into the Triwizard tournament and mess just like in the canon' which will not bring out a lot of changes and the major changes will only occur during the fifth year. Or 'should he be excluded out of the tournament and have a regular year while Voldemort resurrects and moves in an entirely different direction', and this will change a lot of things earlier in the timeline during the fourth year.**_

 _ **This chapter was meant to be a chapter just for Remus, Sirius and Harry bonding, so sorry if you expected Hermione and others. But the upcoming chapter will be long and will covering a lot more things, stay tuned.**_

 _ **Until Next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and Dumbledore bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

It was already eleven o'clock, and Sirius was knocking on the door of Harry's room getting no response. Sirius kept knocking for another few minutes, but since Harry was unresponsive he was getting both worried and annoyed. Suddenly an idea struck him and he decided to use it, so he called, "Dobby…" and with a small pop the house elf appeared wearing two long red socks on his feet and a scarf on his neck.

"Master Harry Potter's dogfather called Dobby. How can dobby help Harry Potter's dogfather?" Sirius had a deadpanned look on his face when dobby called him a dogfather, but he shrugged it off as nothing.

"Well Dobby, Harry for some reason hasn't woken up yet. The door is locked and obviously charmed to be kept locked, so can you pop inside and wake Harry up and if he doesn't wake up then open the door." Sirius asked the house-elf and the enthusiastic elf popped away instantly.

A few minutes later there was small click sound and he twisted the doorknob and the door opened away. He walked into the room to find his godson sleeping soundly curled up on his bed and an obviously worried house-elf fidgeting nearby. He walked closer and called, "Harry, pup, pup wake up.", but there was no response. He placed the back of his palm to the forehead of his godson and he was instantly alarmed, because Harry was burning up.

He thought of what he could do and he immediately ordered Dobby to get him a few towels and warm water. And just as soon as Dobby brought those things, he dipped the towel in the water and once it was soaked, he twisted the towel free of its water and placed it on his godson's forehead. And just as soon as the wet towel touched the skin, Harry jerked awake and in a reflex he turned and fell down on the floor.

"Ohhhhhh…" Harry groaned as fell onto the floor face first almost breaking his nose.

"Sirius, what's wrong with you? I am trying to sleep here, ohhh…" He groaned as he stood up, but this time he was holding his hands over his body.

"Pup, you have a nasty fever, I was only trying to help." Sirius was thinking of ways to get rid of the fever his godson had got.

"Yes sweetie, Sirius was only trying to help." A feminine voice echoed through the room. Sirius recognized that voice almost instantly and he turned towards the source of the voice in disbelief. He turned and found a portrait of a grinning raven-haired man with round glasses and a worried looking beautiful red-haired woman standing close to each other while holding hands.

"Lily? James?" He asked in a questioning manner in pure disbelief, as his eyes widened in realization.

"LILY, JAMES." Sirius yelled in joy and shock, but was cut short by a moan.

"Sirius, please keep it down will you, I am still trying to sleep here…" The former-prisoner turned to find his godson back in bed, while he himself pulling the bed sheets over him.

Sirius was torn between his godson and the portrait of his friends, finally after a few minutes of thinking he chose to find what's wrong with Harry. "Pup, how are you feeling?" Sirius asked in a voice full of concern.

"Tired and thirsty…" He replied slowly.

"Don't worry we are going to St. Mungo's right now." Sirius commanded and turned towards the portrait.

"And I'll speak with you two later; we've a lot to catch upto…" Sirius said to his friends in the portrait with a smile and hurried out of the room leaving the door open.

Ten minutes later Sirius was dressed and waiting near the fireplace preparing the floo powder while he was still in his nightclothes as he was walking down to the kitchen. When he reached the fireplace, Sirius held out a small cup with floo powder in it and he took a handful of it and reached into the fireplace.

"St. Mungo's Hospital…" He said in his best voice which sounded more like a low croak.

In a flash of green flames Harry disappeared from Grimmauld Place and reached the hospital's floo and he fell out of the fireplace face first for the second time that very morning.

"Ouch…, not again…" He moaned lying still on the ground without even bothering to turn around.

A fair looking young nurse immediately rushed to him and lifted him up while Sirius who came through the floo just behind him helped the nurse to pick him up as he groaned. "What happened to him?" The nurse asked Sirius thankfully not noticing who he was, but she recognized Sirius immediately and then took a closer look on whom he was again and then she recognized him instantly.

"What have you done to him?" The nurse corrected immediately after recognizing him while giving Sirius an accusing look.

"It must have been the shrimps that he ate last night. And before you ask me, it isn't my fault that I am not good at cooking. So give me a breather will you?" Sirius instantly shot back at the nurse and the nurse looked like she was just told Voldemort was found break dancing in Diagen Alley (pun intended).

"Not good…? Sirius, you are absolutely rubbish at cooking. I'd rather eat dry hay than that charred bone powder you made which you claimed to be lamb ribs." He corrected and the nurse slapped her forehead and sighed as she muttered 'men'.

With that the nurse and Sirius slowly led him towards the general ward to make a diagnosis of his problem.

* * *

 _ **One Hour Later-**_

Harry was lying exhausted on the bed as he was moved twice, first to the general ward as they registered in as regular fever due to possible food poisoning. But when the healer clarified with Sirius about his 'recent' blood-adoption, she instantly insisted on him to move to the third floor of the hospital which was for victims admitted in due to 'Potions and Plant Poisoning'. Fortunately he was given a private room when Sirius insisted that they get a private setting not wanting to be mobbed by anyone due to their reputation and to keep the entire situation under tight wraps. Right now he was lying on his bed, while watching as Sirius was getting berated by the Lady Healer whose name he couldn't recall and an irate looking Amelia Bones who reached the hospital around ten minutes ago.

"What were you thinking trying to blood-adopt a teenage boy?" Amelia almost screamed at Sirius. She was trying to fix an appointment with Harry, so she could get the information necessary to move forward with her investigation of many cold cases that had accumulated over the years. Now she had to postpone her work for a later date, because Harry Potter wasn't in an answering condition and she hated to postpone her work. But since she understood Sirius's reasoning she calmed down a little, because she would hate it too if the ministry controlled her guardianship over Susan.

She turned towards the beautiful blonde haired healer and asked, "What is Mr. Potter's condition, Ms….?"

"It's Mrs. Rosalie Gladstone, Madam Bones, as the blood-adoption was done at Gringotts we are assuming maximum effect of changes to happen. Mr. Potter is currently undergoing massive physical transition in height, in weight, sexual and in secondary sexual characteristics. All of these were triggered to develop at a much faster pace due to the blood-adoption. The foreign blood is trying to merge with Mr. Potter's own blood stream trying to imbue its own characteristics into the host subject. That is why Mr. Potter feels tired, hungry and fatigued. He must be kept under our observation here at St Mungo's for the rest of the week while we put him under a series of potions to help him with the transition." Rosalie finished with giving him a pitying look and he was sure that meant disgusting potions for the rest of the week.

"So you're saying that my puberty time period was moved up the scale?" He asked in a tired tone.

"If we put it in such a crude way, that's exactly what's happening." Rosalie answered him hesitantly.

"Can you please further explain that statement to me?" He asked to the healer, meanwhile Amelia ushered Sirius out of the room with an intense look on her face. And Sirius complied with Amelia immediately and walked out of the room with Amelia following just behind him.

"Mr. Potter, blood-adoption is not usually done on teenagers, because teenagers already undergo changes that are both physical and mental. That is why blood-adoptions are usually done on children from the age of three to six years, because their primary development would balance out the imbued characteristics that happen due to the blood-adoption. Right now Mr. Black's physical traits are trying to be forcefully infused in with your physique, that's why you feel fatigued, because your body is burning out all the nutrients at an accelerated pace. But don't worry Mr. Potter we will stabilize your condition within a week and then you'll be free to go home." Rosalie replied back to him.

When the healer was starting to walk out of the room he asked, "After you stabilize my condition, what will be the end result?"

"For the next four to five weeks you will experience multiple growth spurts and tremendous weight gain. Your metabolism will be rather low, because your body's clock isn't used to the rate of your _'developing'_ physique, I would suggest physical exercises and strict nutritional diet. Because the exercises would keep your metabolism high enough at all times and it will help for an easy transition. After that your growth will be altered to a much more sedated pace, and by the time you become sixteen your overall growth will be complete and you will be at your physical maximum. But keep in mind that I am seriously advising that physical exercises are essential and it would really help you in ' _many ways'_. " Rosalie explained with a smile while stressing the last two words.

"Many ways…?" He narrowed his eyes and asked back in a curious yet suspicious tone.

"Muscles, Mr. Potter, it'll help you build muscles and especially under these circumstances the effects will be rather amplified. And it is a very well-conversed concept among teenagers like you Mr. Potter, if you know what I am speaking of?" Rosalie spoke with a hint.

"Madam Rosalie, I'll be blunt. I've no interest in attracting attention to myself and certainly not the attention of any witches. For the reason that I've no interest in shallow minded girls with a crush and a thirst for popularity; I am instead looking for deep and solid relationships with a girl who has personality and brilliance." He replied dispassionately with a tinge of reluctance in it which earned him a set of raised eyebrows from the healer which was filled with acute surprise.

"Well my niece will be very disappointed when I say that you aren't interested in fangirls. And you are very mature for your age, Mr. Potter. If I didn't know any better I would say that, you think like a responsible adult, it's very rare to find teens with such an attitude, I wonder why you are as such." Healer Rosalie asked him curiously scrunching her face.

"Well if you have lived a life like mine, then you wouldn't find my maturity to be astonishing, Madam Rosalie." He replied back with a tired smile.

"Fair enough, I'll check up on you later." She replied with a kind smile and turned back to leave the room to let him rest.

Rosalie stopped at the door and turned to face him and asked him, "Can I ask you a personal question, which you don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable, Mr. Potter?" He gave a nod of agreement.

"Is your Godfather an available man?" She asked with a pointed look.

"I remember hearing you mentioning that you were a Mrs.….Madam Rosalie?" He asked back while he gave her a sharp stare.

"Well my husband has been dead for quite a while now and I've finally decided to move on, so I am looking for possible relationships." She replied both steadily and impassively.

"My condolences…., I am sorry, but my godfather is already taken." He replied carefully.

"Madam Bones, I assume…?" She asked him and he didn't reply back, but simply gave her a dry impassive stare.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." She finished modestly with a barely visible smile touching her face.

"Please try to be as tight-lipped as possible, they are trying to keep it a secret and you didn't hear it from me." He replied with a sigh and gave a look which said _'please'_. And the blonde healer gave him a wink and walked out of the room closing the door behind to let him rest.

* * *

 _ **Outside of the room-**_

"Sirius, you do know that Cornelius will use this is in the future if this matter goes out to the press, right?" Amelia asked with a little worry in her feature.

"I know Amy, that's what I was dreading about until I had a thought of blocking this completely away from the press. That's why I requested for a private room and a personal healer for Harry, so don't worry I have almost covered everything." Sirius replied confidently.

"Sirius that's where you are wrong, you clearly don't understand the delicacy of the situation, the more number of days Harry stays here the bigger the chances that the press finds out about this. You are both celebrity…time…bombs in the magical Britain at the moment; it's only because of the protection the Grimmauld place provides you that you two aren't mobbed at home by reporters at a day to day setting. And trust me when I say this, Harry being admitted to the hospital in the very first week of your very first summer together isn't going to look good on both of you. Blood-adoption or not, right or wrong, Cornelius will not lose such an opportunity to look good in front of the public by supposedly claiming to be helping 'the-boy-who-lived'." Amelia kept stern eye to eye contact with Sirius while explaining.

"Harry certainly doesn't read 'the witch weekly' or any other popular magazines the witches and wizards of our community read. I did some research on Harry's image from the public's point of view after what he told us about himself, and what I found will be very flattering to Harry. According to the general public Harry Potter is famous, rich and a genius saviour, they get a consistently close look at Harry's school life and continuous updates regarding his personal life. Witches of all ages will support Harry for very many different reasons. And wizards are either indifferent or impressed with Harry Potter, if they hear about Harry being in St. Mungo's due to you, and then they will ask for your head and the Ministry will be glad to provide them with it in a silver platter. This situation needs to be contained at all costs, and no one can know what you two did." Amelia finished with an intense warning.

"What are you suggesting, Amy?" Sirius asked in a worried and serious tone.

"We need to get him discharged from the hospital as soon as possible." Amelia closed in and whispered it to Sirius.

"Don't worry I'll talk to the healer about that…" Sirius replied in the same whisper.

"Talk to me about what?" Rosalie asked to the couple from behind them.

Both Amelia and Sirius turned around to find the healer standing and staring at them. Sirius and Amelia exchanged a look an then he sighed and asked, "We were wondering when Harry will be discharged?"

"Normally I would insist on Mr. Potter staying under treatment for a full week in the very least, but I have a feeling that you will be able to take him back within a few days." Rosalie replied to the couple.

"Why is that Mrs. Rosalie?" Amelia asked a little surprised to find a healer who was willing to cut the treatment of a patient.

"Well first of all, Mr. Potter is taking the news very well, because he clearly isn't worried about this stressful situation. I had a pleasant conversation with him and I took the opportunity to explain the fairer points about the adoption. And I successfully alleviated his mood and diverted his mind to much lighter topics, so that he doesn't feel mentally pressured. With this kind of attitude and cooperation I can guarantee you that he will be recovering very quickly, so don't worry Madam Bones he'll be fine, very soon." Rosalie explained her opinion on the issue.

"But…his recovery period maybe accelerated if we take off the magical binding that is placed on him." The blonde haired healer said in an obvious tone.

"What...magical binding?" Sirius asked immediately with a small pause in between his words.

"You didn't know? Fourteen per cent of Mr. Potter's magic has been bounded, that's the regular amount one would usually bind to avoid magical accidents, so I thought one of you did it as a safety precaution." The blonde Healer replied carefully while assessing the reaction of the two adults.

"What happens if you bind a person more than fourteen per cent?" Sirius asked out of curiosity which piqued his interest.

"One can bind a person's magic upto another seven per cent, but anything more than that is not recommended. Because the said person will be able to feel the binding, as their magic will feel more restricted and restrained. And if he/she tries to forcefully break the binding then they will cause serious harm to themselves and to the people around them." Amelia answered to Sirius's question swiftly before the healer could, while she was clearly under deep thought.

"Can you tell us since when the binding existed in Harry's core?" Amelia continued to question the blonde healer impassively.

"Hard to tell, but judging by Mr. Potter's rate of physical healing due to his own internal magic and comparing the size of his magical core, also taking into account that subsequent increase in magic…, I would say a three to four years in the very least, give or take a few years." Rosalie replied back to the couple hesitantly, because it was obvious to her that someone other than these two did the binding.

Both Sirius and Amelia hid their surprise, because they half-expected the same answer and suspected that Dumbledore may have had a hidden hand in this issue. "Why didn't you find it sooner? I remember Harry saying that he already came to St Mungo's once for a full body check-up a while ago." This time Sirius questioned the healer as he was slightly angry.

"Well obviously a magical binding can only be placed by a witch or a wizard, but since Mr. Potter mentioned that he lived with his muggle relatives while filling out the entry forms, we didn't find it requisite to check him for a magical binding being placed on him in the first place." The Healer replied swiftly and sharply at the head of Black family, because she didn't like it when the quality of the treatment provided by the hospital is being questioned. Both Sirius and Amelia understood the logic behind the healer's answer and also noticed the haste behind the reply.

There was a silence between the three for a few brief minutes and finally the healer let out a sigh and asked, "Anyway I need your permission to remove the magical binding from Mr. Potter's magical core, as you are his legal/magical guardian Mr. Black."

"Carry on and do what you have to do…" Sirius replied smoothly giving near-instant permission.

And with that the short blonde healer gave them a nod and walked away. Both Amelia and Sirius nodded simultaneously at the blonde haired healer before she walked away, because they were relieved to hear that Harry would be making a rapid recovery. Then they glanced at each other and walked away to Remus's house to explain the situation and plan to secure their resources.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later (Riddle Manor)-**_

It was a rather dull evening; the orange sun covered the Manor giving it a more obscure look. On the side of the manor that was facing west there was a half-dark room with a fire burning in the fireplace. The yellowish tint from the fireplace and the orange rays of the sun which came into the room through the window and the generally dark painted room made the room look strangely evil. There was bed in which a dark prone form was asleep covered in layers of bed sheets. The door opened slightly and a pale man with slight freckles on his skin and he had a straw coloured mop of hair, he walked in and kneeled near foot of the bed, this man was none other than the supposedly dead Death-Eater Barty Crouch Jr.

And then there was a voice as cold as ice and smooth like a slithering hiss, "This body too is insufficient, Barty. It isn't like the woman Jorkins' or Quirrell's body; this host subject's body won't withstand my presence much longer even with all these potions. I need a new body and a much more permanent one and I need you to do exactly what I tell you."

"I await your instructions master…" Barty's submissive, but dutiful voice echoed through the room.

"I need you to find my wand first and then..." The voice gave his orders in a commanding tone, but the remaining orders were whispered into Barty's ear. With that Bartemius Crouch Jr. gave a nod and whispered a "Yes Master…" to the person in the bed and then swiftly stood up from the bedside and walked out of the dark room.

And a few minutes later, Barty walked back in holding a blonde haired, light skinned man with blue eyes. It was Yaxley, his hands were tied up and he was struggling as he stood there beside Barty who was keeping a tight hold on his shoulders.

"I've brought him Master!" Barty said looking very satisfied with his deed.

The prone form on the bed turned its head to look at Yaxley, when the blood-red slitted eyes met the blue the blonde haired man fell to his knees as sheer terror gripped onto him. Yaxley started shivering rapidly as he recognized the prone form to be the supposedly dead 'Lord Voldemort'.

"You may go, Barty. Do your assigned job my faithful servant." Voldemort said in his ice smooth slithering hiss, Barty gave a nod and walked out of the room leaving the blonde haired man alone with his master.

Meanwhile Yaxley hunched down his entire body while supporting himself by using his hands. "Yaxley, I hear that you have quite a position in the ministry. Be a good boy and use it for my benefit and you shall be spared from my wrath." Voldemort said in his deadly evil tone.

"Ye…., ye….yes, my…Lord…!" Yaxley stuttered back a reply.

"Then I have a job for you and for your own sake you'll do it." Voldemort said in a commanding tone.

"Yes…, my Lord." Yaxley said this time shivering, but not stuttering as the deadly evil tone changed into a more professional voice, but he didn't dare rise from his position in fear for his life.

"Then rise up my servant, we have work to do." Just as Voldemort said it his 'familiar' the python crawled past Yaxley and climbed onto the bed, and the man rose still keeping his head down not daring to meet the Dark Lord's eyes. After a brief silence the room was filled with Voldemort's manic laughter which echoed throughout the house.

* * *

 _ **St Mungo's (Fourth Day)-**_

Three days ago during the late night rounds, Madam Rosalie did a kind of spell on him, while he was half asleep due to his exhaustion. When the spell hit him he fell into a deep sleep and on the very next morning when he woke up he felt free and relaxed, he felt like he could literally touch the flow of his internal magic. That afternoon Sirius explained to him about the magical binding that Dumbledore most likely placed on him when he was a child to reduce the number of accidental magic from happening. The explanation made his mood to plummet down, but fortunately it also gave him another reason for him to not regret as he wasn't planning on saving Dumbledore. And surprisingly his treatment went really well after removing the magical binding from him, his body healed and adapted very quickly to the adoption. Healer Rosalie told him that his physical recovery was amplified after removing the magical binding from his core.

He questioned extensively regarding the magical binding to the blonde healer, who usually kept him company when Sirius, Remus or Amelia was not there. She also told him that if the magical binding that was placed upon his magical core wasn't found between under the age of seventeen then it would have become near impossible to find it, because his magical core would have stabilized by the time he turned seventeen. That quenched his curiosity, as it explained why he couldn't find it, the last time around.

Early morning today when he woke up briefly, he felt weird and uneasy. His mind was in overdrive, because he felt an unusual presence in his mind, a presence he hasn't felt in a really long time. It wasn't like the occasional stinging pain in his scar like the one during his first year around Quirrell/Voldemort. This was like a bridge between his and Voldemort's mind, but since he hasn't sensed it in a really long time it put both his mind and body on an edge. He instantly knew that Voldemort was coming back, but this was much soon than before. Last time he only started sensing Voldemort around his birthday, but this time it was faster. Even if the difference was only a few days, it proved that the assumption of things changing in their day to day life was confirmed. So it brought out his insecurities that maybe his knowledge of the future was worthless. He went back to a forced sleep as his sleep addled mind couldn't function properly under stress.

He woke up again, but this time in cold sweat and sat up in shock while shivering continuously and involuntarily. _"No, this isn't happening; Voldemort is coming back much faster than last time…"_ He was roughly broken out of his musing by a voice.

"Harry…?" A soft hesitant voice came by near him, and he turned towards the voice and found Hermione sitting next to the bed in a chair and the Granger parents standing behind her.

"Harry, are you alright? How do you feel? Do you need anything?" Hermione said with concern etched in her tone, while asking the questions in close successions.

"Hermione, when did you come?" He asked out of breath.

"So you do remember me, huh?" Hermione entire demeanour instantly changed from caring soft girlfriend to a vengeful and angry girlfriend as she scowled looking right into his eyes.

"Heh eh eh..., Hermione, I've a good reason of why I didn't inform you." He chuckled nervously in fear and he replied back weakly.

"Good reason? You better have a very good reason or else…." She left the threat hanging in the air and he gulped audibly with great difficulty.

At the very moment Sirius opened the door and stuck his head inside the room and asked, "Harry do you want beef sandwich or a ham sandwich?"

That's when Sirius noticed that Harry wasn't alone in his room as he saw Hermione and her parents. Seeing that as the perfect opportunity to cheer up his sulking godson he decided to implement a trick that he usually did to help his Harry's father James when in a sticky situation. "Oh sorry, I didn't see you there Ms. Granger….." He trailed off sensing the awkward silence between his godson and his girlfriend.

"Well, Dr Daniel and Dr Emma would you like to join me? I am going to a nearby muggle restaurant to have breakfast." He offered and used a mild wandless compulsion charm on himself to make his offer look tempting.

At this both the elder Grangers immediately left the room to give the two teens a little space as they were involved in a one-sided fight, and also it was obvious to the Granger parents that their daughter had the boy whipped. And also because the boy was doomed to get chewed out by their daughter one way or the other, as there was no stopping it and they were not going to try and get in between it. Daniel who was slightly glad that Harry was going to tongue lashed by his daughter, since he realized that both the teens were in a relationship this situation strangely satisfied his fatherly instincts. Meanwhile Emma wanted to give some privacy to her daughter, because she was hoping that they would mend their young relationship quickly.

Just as soon as the Granger parents left the room, he almost jumped from his bed and caught hold of her tightly and kissed her. She struggled initially, but soon she melted into the kiss as their kiss progressed into a more comfortable and passionate one. When they broke up for air, she immediately smiled as it came uncontrollably to her face, but she immediately composed herself and swatted his chest and pouted at him.

"Have I earned your forgiveness, Mione my love?" He asked sweetly almost in a needy tone. She was no longer the volcanic eruption waiting to happen, she was now the tropical islands with a beach to relax.

After a brief minute her composure broke and she roughly caught his shirt and pulled him into an animalistic kiss getting on top of him while straddling him and at the same time trying not to make noise and alert anyone. He casted a wandless and nonverbal 'locking', 'silencing' and 'notice-me-not' charm on the door, so none shall interrupt them.

When they broke up for air, "I have quite a few things to tell you…!" He said enthusiastically.

"That can be scheduled for a later time, now just shut up and kiss me." His beautiful brown eyed girlfriend ordered him. And he in turn flipped them both and changed position in an instant and got on top of her with her still straddling him and continued the passionate kiss. Little did he know that at the very exact moment his blood-adoption process was complete as he continued to make out with his girlfriend there were things happening beyond his control that would favour him immensely in the near future.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's office (At the exact moment)-**_

Dumbledore was a very busy man and he was in the ministry attending to his duties as the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot. In his office the sensor that was monitoring the blood based tracking charm that he had on Harry James Potter stopped working. As the blood-adoption was complete so was the blood infusion into his blood stream. And the blood used on the tracking charm was obsolete and it could no longer find its donor/source as the blood of the donor itself changed drastically.

As soon as the sensor stopped working, it triggered an alarm, but nobody was there in the office at that time or in the next six hours and the alarm was set to stop after four. So the fate played its hand as such Dumbledore wouldn't notice the sensor's malfunction until the start of next term.

* * *

 _ **A/N: To my previous question, a little more than half a dozen people answered that Harry should be involved in the TWT and that I should keep it close to canon and change it slightly for the better. And the other half told me that Harry should be excluded from the tournament and that Harry should train his friends instead and have a quiet year and prepare for Voldemort. Well I am still inclined to do the latter, but the first half actually pointed a fair few things that I have overlooked and their points pushed me in this direction. I really like to give a very big explanation, but that would ruin the surprise and it will technically give out the entire plot that I've planned, so wait and watch.**_

 _ **Sorry for the short chapter which took a long time, my computer was ruined as my baby brother spilled boiling hot coffee on it. I had to get it to a centre and get it fixed and write this chapter really fast in the last two days. Sorry this is also a filler arc or so I think it is. In reality I am trying to build a base for the upcoming chapters. I wanted to explain a lot of things, but honestly my wrists are paining as I have been typing non-stop. So, if you have any questions please be free to ask me, I will do my best to answer them.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, but eventually a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **(1000 milliflamel- 1 flamel**

 **1000 flamels- 1 kiloflamel**

 **1000 kiloflamel- 1 megaflamel) -units to measure magic.**

 **I found these measurements in a fanfic; I copied it and developed it a bit more, because I found it as a very cool concept.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Ministry Of Magic (Lvl 7: Department of Magical Games and Sports)-**_

Currently Dumbledore was conversing very diligently with Ludovic Bagman the head of the 'Department of Magical Games and Sports' regarding the preparations for the upcoming Triwizard Tournament which is to be held in Hogwarts in the upcoming term.

"I thought that the ICW would be giving us considerable help with the preparation for the tasks?" Ludo Bagman asked to the century old manipulative wizard.

"No Ludo, the ministry must be the ones who should pay and arrange for the preparations for the audiences' arena and for setting the necessary spots for the tasks, because the ICW won't be involving itself. The ICW favoured us by selecting the British Ministry for conducting the Tournament and with that their job is done, we should consider it our honour and do it grandly." Dumbledore explained to Bagman and put an end to the doubts.

Suddenly the lone sickle inside Dumbledore's pocket started vibrating and the century year old wizard recognized what it meant. The lone sickle would vibrate if his contacts had information regarding anything that required his immediate attention. There were only two people in the world that had the other counterpart sickles to signal him, one was Arabella Figg and the other was Severus Snape. As a matter of fact he knew that it wasn't the former, because Arabella Figg was no longer a useful contact to him, as Harry Potter now lived with Sirius and the woman only had that sickle, because he hadn't gone to retrieve it back from her. So it was from Severus and he knew that if the Master Potioneer signalled him then it must be of critical importance.

Dumbledore excused himself shortly and walked out of Ludo's office and whispered his password _'lemon drop'_ to the sickle and proceeded to the Atrium to floo to his office. He used the elevator to go upstairs to the Atrium and from there he used the first fireplace on his right-hand side and he flooed directly to his office. The password given to the sickle, signalled the potion master to rendezvous with the headmaster in the Headmaster's office.

Just as the aged headmaster reached his office he noticed his most useful asset standing there waiting for him. "What is it, Severus? What is so important that you signalled me in the middle of a ministry meeting?" Dumbledore asked furrowing his brows while in his usually impassive and stern exterior with a tinge of curiosity in his tone.

The greasy haired Potioneer simply stretched his right hand out and pulled his sleeve up and revealed the Dark Mark. "The mark is once again active Albus, it's getting darker and I can literally sense the magic coursing through it again. Exactly fifty minutes ago the mark pulsed magic three times consecutively in close successions, and that is the standard signal for all Death Eaters to regroup in front of the Dark Lord. Since the dark lord is missing, I can only interpret it as the Dark Lord wants his followers to find him. Albus…, he is coming back."

Dumbledore used both of his hands on his table to support himself and he had an acutely shrewd look on his face. He was thinking of anything that he could do, that would avert this catastrophe or even delay Voldemort's resurrection, for the reason that he had absolutely no control over their prophesied saviour 'Harry Potter'. He knew he was out of time and that making hasty decisions now would more likely turn into a serious problem for him in the future, but right now he needed to make a choice and he decided to issue his orders to Severus.

"What should I do, Albus?" Snape asked struggling to keep his face as impassive as possible, as for the reason he was scared out of his wits by this new development. He had his doubts, he knew that the Dark Lord wouldn't be very accepting of him and he was dreading of Albus ordering him to go in search of Voldemort. And he also discerned the fact that if Albus ordered him then he would have no choice but to do it, and he would have to do it unquestioningly and unhesitatingly.

"I want you to go in search of Voldemort and make sure that you find him before the school year begins. Once you find him, stay beside him to make him believe that you really are working in favour for him. Give him any information he asks for, regarding Harry or me, but try to exclude our private missions together as much as possible. Don't give any details of our missions together if at all possible and try to assess the situation as closely as you can. And make sure that you return back to the school when the upcoming term begins." Dumbledore ordered very confidently as he was pretty sure that Severus didn't have the knowledge about the entire contents of the Prophesy or about his research on the Horcruxes. Meanwhile Severus Snape grimaced as he heard the orders from Albus Dumbledore nonetheless he nodded in agreement.

"What if he assigns me a task that goes against your orders and endangers our plans in the process?" Snape asked back, because he needed to know if he could make his own decisions or wait for Dumbledore's orders.

"Assess the situation and weigh the odds and choose wisely Severus. I'm choosing to trust your judgment on this, don't let me down." Dumbledore finished quickly and Snape nodded at the aged Headmaster and walked towards the fireplace to floo away, however was stopped again by Dumbledore's voice.

"Severus one last thing, don't get caught at any cost and don't contact me until you are absolutely sure that you are alone…, one second thought don't contact me until you come back to school. Severus, keep in mind that the world really needs your services…" Dumbledore added as he thought it would be a good thing to motivate Severus a little.

The greasy haired Potioneer simply replied via an impassive nod and walked into the fireplace and threw the floo powder and disappeared in green flames. Dumbledore turned around in deep thought, since things were going out of control and fast, he had absolutely no options and that frustrated him to no end. He finally decided to patiently wait and watch and to see how this turns out. If nothing turns out to his favour then either manipulating Harry Potter will become his top priority or that plan will be completely thrown out of the window.

* * *

 _ **No. 12 Grimmauld Place (Kitchen)-**_

It was seven o'clock at night and Sirius, Remus, Amelia and Harry were all seated in the long rectangular table in the kitchen having their dinner. Remus was sitting in the far left of the table with Sirius beside him while he and Amelia were seated on the opposite side of the two marauders. The portrait of his parents was hung on the wall above the fireplace near the kitchen which was in a short range for all of them from the table.

After coming home from the hospital, Sirius and Remus had a heart to heart talk with his parents while he explained the fairer points of all things and they sorted everything out. After that he had a one-to-one talk with his mother regarding Hermione's role in his life, while she gave him no chance for an elusive answer. So he gave her a fully detailed life story of him and Hermione leaving out nothing and also told her of how he is motivated by Hermione and how he is looking forward for a life with her after the war. And his father brought Sirius and Remus out of their 'wallowing with regret' frame of mind and told them to stop pitying themselves or else, his father left the threat hanging. On the whole their talk with his mum and dad worked beautifully, since after the talk, he noticed that the two remaining marauders' mood which improved steadily to healthy levels.

At the moment, Sirius and Remus were talking or rather bickering with his father; yesterday Sirius gave permission to his parents in the portrait to move around into any portraits in the house and also went as far to place many empty frames around the house. While him and Amelia were thoroughly inspecting the last twelve years of his bank statements that he acquired from Goblin Rotfang which took a little coercing from his side. On the side, they were eating Classic Chicken Noodle Soup with Szechuan chicken, which took him almost two and a half hours to prepare. He and Remus made time for a trip to Chinatown two days ago to purchase the necessary and rare ingredients for the dish before coming home from St Mungo's.

"Lily, I am very happy to inform that your son definitely inherited your skills in cooking, but he is leagues ahead of you in terms of skill." Sirius said to his mother while taking another sip of the wine in his goblet.

"Well Sirius, thank you for the compliment, as I feel both flattered and annoyed." Lily replied back with a mock stern look.

"Well I have to agree with Sirius on this, your son does cook like a god, Lily. Goodness me! This food is heavenly however a little too spicy for my tastes." Amelia supported her boyfriend getting distracted by the conversation neglecting the work at hand, but at the same time making Harry smile who was listening if not actively, but enough to understand what they were talking about.

"Amelia you don't get a vote as you are clearly supporting your boyfriend on this…" His father immediately said supporting his wife getting an annoyed look from Amelia.

"Well that's rather low of you, mate." Sirius replied back to his father in defence for his girlfriend.

"I can't believe that I am hearing this from you, Pads." His father shot back at his godfather.

"Well this certainly proves one thing, Sirius. You were right, mum's got dad whipped." He said out of the blue entering into the conversation while not daring to look up from his paper work.

At this he got him a very surprised looks from his parents, while Amelia chuckled. His mother's surprised look eventually turned into a proud but mischievous Cheshire Cat-like look while his father looked rather appalled from the very start. Seeing his father's expression Remus immediately ducked his head down facing his food and started eating quickly not paying attention to anything around him. While Sirius immediately turned his head to look upwards whistling random tunes trying to hide his nervousness. When his father started glaring at his godfather and surrogate uncle, he decided to have a little more fun.

"Dad it isn't a bad thing, if it's any consolation Madam Bones here has got Sirius _'seriously'_ whipped…" He further added oil into the burning fire while hinting some things. There was a pin drop silence in the room, after getting over his shock Sirius yelled back at him, "I DO NOT.", at this parents and Remus were struggling not to laugh.

Amelia gave a pointed stare at Sirius for his reply…, "Maybe a little." Sirius said hesitantly like a child caught red-handed under an adult's stare when he noticed the look from his girlfriend. Amelia's pointed stare transformed into a full-fledged glare, "Okay, a lot!" Sirius said in a subdued and barely audible manner, but since the rest of the room was extremely silent everyone heard it anyway. It was followed by roaring of laughter from everyone except Sirius which lasted for quite a while.

For the next few hours the conversation continued among them while Remus and Amelia took the plates and bowls away after dinner was finished. Amelia told them about how her niece Susan who was currently spending a few weeks at her friend's house with a group of other girls and how she preferred to spend more time with her friends than with her aunt in the ministry. Amelia also kept complaining to Sirius about how teenagers are irrational, irresponsible and unreasonable. The three adults in the room started drinking, while his parents especially his mother was inquiring Remus about the recent technological advancements in the mundane world, after having heard enough of Remus's non-existent personal and social life.

That's when his mother noted the severely thoughtful look on Harry's face who was still silently reviewing the bank statements, following Lily's line of sight Amelia noticed the same thing. But Remus, Sirius and James were unaware of everything and planning immature pranks for Dumbledore as a form of revenge for trying to manipulate their so called, 'marauder heir'.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" His mum asked him in a curious tone. This made the marauders to stop their prank-planning and started listening carefully to his upcoming answer.

"I have been looking through all these documents, but something always seems missing." He said looking at the adults and at his parents.

"Like what, Harry?" Amelia continued for his mother. He arranged all the statements in order on the table and asked her to take a look at it.

"What do you see?" He asked again to the head of DMLE and she scrutinized it carefully for a few minutes.

"Transfers, transactions, trades, taxes and services these are all that's common in these documents…" She replied obviously and he added something to the list that she missed.

"And the absence of the name Albus Dumbledore in these, look at all these documents…, not once has his name come up, not even something that connects him remotely. He has somehow kept his entire involvement under tight wraps but at the same time he has made a lot of small transactions over the years. The Goblins at Gringotts are too clever to double deal under the table and get caught, on the other hand the only conclusion I can come up with is that Dumbledore definitely has an accomplice inside of Gringotts." He made his doubts clear to the adults which also included his parents.

"Are you saying that this accomplice is indeed accomplices and that they are the goblins of Gringotts?" Remus asked after carefully analysing his statement, however still uncertainly.

"Yes, I think so. For no wizard working in Gringotts has the authority to hoodwink and hide this many transactions…" He replied nonchalantly while adjusting himself in his seat.

"Harry, that's absurd. You said so yourself Goblins are too clever to double deal under the table and get caught doing it!" Sirius said in disbelief.

"Yes! Goblins…are…too clever aren't they…, but a Goblin may not be as such." He said getting a surprised and interested look from all the others including his parents in the portraits.

"So you're saying that the old coot somehow convinced one of the Goblins to help him?" His mum both asked and answered curiously and astonishingly that her son thought this cogently, as logic was something wizards very rarely used.

He in turn separated a specific set of documents from the pile and laid them in order while bagged the others away. "What do you see in common in these set of documents?" He again asked, but this time he aimed the question towards the women, as the men in the room weren't very sharp to their corresponding counterparts.

"The signature in the documents…!" Both his mum and Amelia replied simultaneously.

"Yes, they are the very same in all this... These are all the statements before Rotfang, before Griphook, before I started asking questions, but after mum's and dad's deaths. All these are signed by one goblin named Daggerskin. There is nothing in here that indicates that money was even being used from the vaults, but at the end of every year the vault has lost a considerable amount. And the Goblin account manager Daggerskin obviously didn't look after the vaults and let all the commerce companies to go into loss. I thought handling these issues quietly would give me the advantage and the leverage against Dumbledore, but he has covered his tracks far too well. Only one place can give me the evidence to get a hold on Dumbledore's schemes and that's the one place where we wizards and witches can't demand anything from, 'Gringotts'." He surmised his theory to the adults in the room.

"I can't believe it! I never would have thought that 'Daggerskin' would betray us. That old goat was our account manager since the time _my father_ handled things." His father made apparent of his shock to the others.

"How much have they stole, honey?" His mum asked him sounding very curious.

"Not much comparing to our wealth in the vaults, mum, just a little over eight hundred thousand Galleons. You both safeguarded the accounts quite well, leaving very little loopholes for Dumbledore to exploit. That's why I assume that the headmaster needed the goblin account manager's help in the first place, to hide his involvement and nick the money slowly in small amounts. Last time around…, when I went to Gringott's on my eleventh birthday and then after the next few times the initial safeguards structures you both arranged must have fallen. And with Dumbledore having my account key very often, I am assuming that it must have been very easy for him. My trusting nature made me trust Dumbledore far too much, that I often gave my key to people like Molly and other Order members, and so it indeed became too easy for Dumbledore to rob me under the name of 'the greater good'. So much that I had only eighteen million Galleons left in my account after the war, which is far more than I have ever used and I honestly need, but I am not going to let the old fool to steal from me again." He quenched his mother's curiosity, while making all the adults to look appalled.

"What pains me the most is, when I think how much of a fool I have been? Dumbledore had ten years with the vaults key and a goblin account manager to help him and still he was only able to steal under a million Galleons. And I came along, after that he stole millions from me over a short few years and I didn't even notice that I was the victim." He sighed in disappointment and contempt targeted on himself.

His mum was going to console him, but his father stopped her as he wanted his son to let his feelings out than bottling it inside. He was going to continue on with his ranting, but Amelia decided to interrupt him as she found the wallowing in self-pity sulking to be rather useless, "The real question is what we are going to do about it?"

"I have a way to get the information from Gringotts, but it's rather unethical." He broke out of his musing and replied hesitantly to everyone in general.

"Do you need any help?" Surprisingly Amelia asked him, since this was the first time she offered assistance willingly for something unethical after she got comfortable to his presence.

"No, I don't! I already have an appointment with Director Ragnok the day after tomorrow, regarding the sale of an array of Goblin made items that are currently in the Chamber of Secrets. Don't worry I will get the evidence on Dumbledore's meddling." He replied in a definitive tone and manner.

"Dad, before we wrap this up, I have been meaning to ask you this. How do we have this much money, we barely even use a million Galleons for maybe….ten-fifteen years or probably more. But we have too much wealth, so much that we don't have to work for a lifetime. Do all other pureblood families have this kind of wealth?" He wondered because if all death eater families have this much wealth then they can technically monopolize the entire magical economy.

"Son, my father, which is your grandfather, invented the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. How long do you think he sold this Hair Potion? He sold it for around twenty five years while customizing and improving it for maximum effects and developed various other flavours or aromas for people who compared it to muggle cosmetics. Then he sold his entire company and his factory in China for a very big fortune. And that's why we own such a large amount of money to our names, or in my case I used to own. I can assure you that we didn't do anything illegal to acquire this much wealth, not anything I know off, but I do know that before my father there were quite a few blood-purists in our family too and hence its not impossible to assume some unethical businesses happening in our family too. And to answer your other question, only a few other families own such amounts of….." His father's answer was cut short by Sirius.

"Families such as the Blacks, Greengrass, Lestranges, Malfoy, Nott and Rosier they are all the only other families who owns this kind of scratch. Greengrass, Lestrange, Rosier and us definitely have more than Malfoys and Notts, that's for sure." Sirius finished looking attentive.

"I see…! Don't worry people I am going to handle this bloody issue _quietly_. Well I am off to bed, so goodnight everyone." He said while packing everything into his bottomless bag and headed for the stairs to go to his room for a good night sleep.

He turned back to face the adults in the room while standing at the foot of the stairs and said, "And Sirius, please don't forget to cast the 'Muffliato spell' on the window too. I want a good night's sleep and I don't want to hear you both moaning and groaning at the middle of the night like yesterday." He finished quickly, dispassionately and walked upstairs to his room tiredly.

While Sirius replied back shamelessly with a lecherous grin on his face, "Don't worry, pup, I won't forget to do it tonight!" While the stern head of DMLE, Madam Amelia Bones was blushing in a deep shade of red from head to toe, while Remus face-palming at his best-friend's shamelessness.

Sirius noticed that James and Lily were glaring at him for his attitude, "Mate, in my defence, he isn't a teenager like you want him to be, he is a thirty year old man in mind, so I think it's okay to be a casual with him." At this both his parents visibly deflated and sighed exasperatedly while shaking their heads in resignation, because they knew that they weren't getting anywhere with Sirius.

"We better get to bed too, it's quite late." Remus said and proceeded to his room upstairs.

Amelia came near Sirius and said, "Sorry, but I have to go home tonight, because I have quite a few appointments tomorrow morning in the ministry." Sirius looked disappointed as he won't be getting any action tonight, but he nodded nonetheless. With that Amelia gave a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek and walked to the fireplace and disappeared in a blaze of green flames. And then Sirius proceeded to his room upstairs as he was quite tired and was also very satisfied to have spent the day with Remus, James, Lily, Amelia and his godson Harry.

Meanwhile the portraits of Lily and James Potter moved to the frame in front of Harry's bed in his bedroom and watched as their son curled up and fell silent into a deep sleep.

"Our son looks so serene in his sleep, honey." Lily whispered to her husband to not make any noise in the quiet room so not to wake up her sleeping son.

"He may have my looks, but he inherited your beauty, my love." James whispered back to his wife earning a soft smile form her.

"My only regret is that we never got the chance to watch him grow up." James said sadly not to anyone but himself.

"The important thing is that he will grow up and we gave him that chance." Lily consoled her sombre husband with a peck on his lips and with that both James and Lily fell into sleep. But both the Potter parents failed to notice the single tear that flowed down the listening boy's left eye as immense happiness welled up in his heart. With that Harry went to sleep dreaming about a world where his parents, Sirius, Remus, him, his friends, Amelia and Hermione lived happily ever after.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later (Afternoon, Gringotts)-**_

Harry arrived at Leaky Cauldron via the Knight Bus under a mild 'glamour' and a cap that hid his face. From there he walked into the pub and used 'the wall' and reached Diagen Alley. He walked straight towards Gringotts; he entered the bank and proceeded towards the head teller.

"My name is Harry James Potter, and I have an appointment with Director Ragnok regarding a sale." He said to the aged Goblin teller and the goblin waved its hand towards another Goblin and the goblin in question led him upstairs to a rich looking office.

Just as he entered the office, he saw Ragnok sitting behind his desk and doing paperwork. "Ah, Mr. Potter, you are just on time." Ragnok said looking up from the papers.

"I had an appointment…." He replied back both hinting to move things along and answering to Ragnok's question.

"Yes, indeed we have. Let us attend to it, please sit." Ragnok replied and he did as told.

"Now, where are these Goblin made items that you promised us, Mr. Potter?" Ragnok asked in a sneering tone. Goblins hated it when wizards or witches owned weapons or items made by their race and Ragnok wasn't any different.

"It's in the Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts." He relaxed into his chair and replied coolly in an equally condescending tone, as he wasn't going to let anyone simply speak ill of him straight to his face.

Ragnok scrutinized him for a minute, analysing him if he was indeed telling the truth. When Ragnok couldn't find any signs of deception he asked, "How are we going to retrieve it? Since the school is closed and the Chamber itself is hidden?"

"I have a portkey that will get us in there, directly." He replied in the same cool condescending tone; however he also noticed that Ragnok looked very angry.

"Portkey won't work inside or nearby Hogwarts, Mr. Potter. You dare not waste my time…" Ragnok replied in a clipped tone that made him mad.

"Let me make this clear, Mr. Ragnok. I'm the one who has the goblin-made items here and I came here believing that you would make me a better deal than the prices offered for it in the black-market. I could sell them there and trust me no black market dealer would sell those to the Goblin Nation. They would keep the items in circulation for as long as possible and it's what they call business. So do you want the merchandise or not, if you do not want them just say so and don't waste _my_ time, I've got other people willing to buy those." He bluffed in the exact clipped that Ragnok spoke to him in and that made the goblin to visibly step down from offense. For Ragnok it was clear that this was no mere teenage boy, that Harry Potter was not to be trifled with and certainly knew how to negotiate with their race.

"We goblins are interested in getting back our objects, so yes, we want them back." Ragnok replied to him and he gave a nod and held out a long metal ruler (Portkey) and enlarged it a little. Ragnok spoke a few words in Gobbledegook aiming towards the door and as a result the door opened and eight goblins walked inside and stood before him. Each goblin took hold of the ruler after conversing in Gobbledegook for a few brief moments while he and Ragnok held out the tips of the long ruler.

And he pictured the image of the Chamber and the portkey activated, they all felt a hook somewhere behind their navel and a pull that made them all to spin wildly and they were all gone in a mere moment.

* * *

 _ **Chamber of Secrets-**_

All of them landed on their feet straight in front of the main runic circle he had previously etched in the Chamber's wall. All of the goblins including Ragnok looked around the chamber in a futile attempt to familiarize with the large cave-like chamber.

"Okay, all of you this way!" He said and walked to the right side towards the carcass of the sixty foot long Basilisk.

The group of goblins followed him towards the dead Basilisk, "So what do you think?" He asked them dispassionately.

"A perfectly preserved one thousand year old Basilisk, sixty four and a half foot long and a little more than twenty tons of her, isn't she a beauty?." He asked coolly, if the goblins were impressed they didn't show it.

"So Mr. Ragnok, I assume that we can negotiate a price?" He asked to the head goblin in particular and received a nod in return.

"I can offer a price of one million and three hundred thousand Galleons for the basilisk as whole." Ragnok offered and he wasn't satisfied, so he decided to push his luck.

"Two million, the skin of the Basilisk has a potent magical warding to it that was cast by Salazar Slytherin himself…." He left the explanation hanging and Ragnok understood the reasoning. Goblins may not like strong wizards, but Ragnok knew about Salazar Slytherin and respected the man's name for his power.

"One million and four hundred thousand…" Ragnok upped the offer.

"One million and nine hundred thousand…" He downed his price.

"Mr. Potter, we both know where this is going, let's not waste each other's time anymore. One million six hundred and fifty thousand Galleons, it's my final offer." Ragnok offered as he predicted the course they would negotiate the price into.

"Before we make a deal I have to show you something." He said and took all the goblins to the official entrance of the Chamber. As he left the Chamber's door open the last time he came here, he took them to the Basilisk's skin that the snake shed previously.

"How much for this skin…?" He asked to the goblins and a few minutes later Ragnok replied.

"As the skin doesn't have the magical warding anymore due to years of deterioration, I can give you twelve thousand Galleons and that is the best I can offer." Ragnok replied and to that he gave a nod and said.

"We have a deal." He held his hand out and Ragnok took it and both shook hands. He wasn't complaining, because in the end he got one million and six hundred and sixty two thousand Galleons for a dead snake that he just killed. Ragnok and the goblins spoke among themselves in Gobbledegook and he waited patiently for them to finish, but he listened to the conversation carefully in order to research on them at a later date.

With that he led Ragnok to the far left corner of the chamber and opened the hidden storage room, while four of the goblins went towards the carcass of the Basilisk and two of them stayed near the skin. And there he showed Ragnok and the remaining two goblins all the goblin-made items. The four goblins immediately set to work and inspected the condition of the items and numbered them. About half an hour of waiting the goblins came back and again spoke with Ragnok in Gobbledegook, and then Ragnok turned to him and asked.

"There are one hundred and sixty seven items here, ranging from battle weapons to enchanted jewelleries. As you said that you came to us hoping that we would make a better offer than in the black-market, so we are ready to offer you five hundred and forty thousand Galleons." Ragnok offered him.

He thought for a while, in the black market he would get around the same amount of money, he was fine with it as he wasn't a greedy lad. But he wasn't going to make it easy for the goblins so he decided to ask for something that would make the goblins sweat in return for the merchandise. He knew that the goblins wouldn't let the goblin-made items slip through their fingers and he also knew that he would be putting the goblins in a very tight position for them to answer him.

"I'll take your offer, if you handover all the bank statements that you _'conveniently'_ failed to give me and when you give me a proper explanation for why the Goblin Nation covered up the issue of theft in my vault." He could see that Ragnok didn't expect the question from the stunned into shock posture.

Ragnok stood there staring at him for a few minutes and finally spoke, "Maybe we should continue this back in my office."

He held out his portkey/ruler for Ragnok to catch hold on and when the goblin took hold they disappeared in a spin.

* * *

 _ **Ragnok's Office-**_

They appeared outside of Gringotts and they walked in while Ragnok led him towards the goblin's office. Once they reached inside the office they took their respective seats and Ragnok began, "Mr. Potter, you must listen to this with utmost patience."

He was torn as he wanted to shout at them for their negligence, but he was ready to give them the chance to explain themselves. "Your former account manager Daggerskin died seven months before your eleventh birthday. After Daggerskin's death as standard procedure we scrutinized into your vaults and found the discrepancies and signs of theft. We had reason to believe that Daggerskin was indeed an accessory to the theft and due to the shame this act would heap upon the Goblin Nation; we decided to keep the entire matter under secrecy. Therefore we decided to hide this from you, for the lesser the people know the easier this will be, to conceal."

"But none of this explains why specific bank statements were removed from the official records?" He asked as it was bugging him even if the story vaguely satisfied him.

"The money from your vaults was transferred to a trust in specific amounts every few months. The trust's name is 'Hogwarts Help fund', thus we have reason to believe that whoever owns the trust is well connected. The trust itself doesn't belong to anyone in particular, it is Hogwarts' trust however it is under the supervision of the many people who have considerable authority over the inner workings of 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'. If you had seen the transfers from your vault to the trust, Mr. Potter, then you would have immediately known about the theft." Ragnok explained why the statements were hidden from him.

"So you decided to hide this from me, because you knew that if the general public knew about this, then your bank's reputation would be tarnished, especially given that one of the goblins was involved in the theft and given who I am. Now it makes perfect sense for why you hid it from me." He was furious, for the reason that he was being very careful to not let Dumbledore deceive him, but then at the same time he got deceived by the goblins.

"You see, there was a very high possibility that I would've accepted your justification and I would've done nothing in response for it, if you had chosen to be honest with me the first time. Since…you chose to conceal it from me, I've decided to use a rather unethical method. I'm going to petition a complaint asking for an acceptable reimbursement concerning the neglect of my vaults and commerce assets for all those years or I'll go public with this knowledge. And make sure that you deliver every single one of those bank statements you withheld from me and also remember that you lot brought this on yourselves." He said with a barely controlled anger in his response to Ragnok.

The goblin sneered at him in contempt, since Harry Potter was being very rude to their race; on the other hand they had no other choice. If they do not agree then the boy would go public and the public opinion goes down and so will their stocks in market, since the boy's fame will make sure of that. Hence they were in a particularly problematic situation where each scenario has its merits and its own set of disadvantages. So settling the amount the boy asked was a much better option than losing all the other clients due to boy going public with that atrocious piece of information.

"I'll see to it that you get the proper reimbursement from us concerning the neglect of your wealth for a considerably long period of time." Ragnok agreed to his demand begrudgingly.

With that he stood up from his seat and proceeded to walk out of the room, but was stopped by Ragnok. "So do we have a deal regarding the goblin-made items?" Ragnok asked in a hurry.

He turned his head and met the goblin Director's eyes and took a few steps and placed the ruler/portkey on the table and replied, "Keep the merchandise for free, and consider it as an act of compassion from my part. Calculate and let me know about the amount of reimbursement money, so we'll negotiate it at a later time. And regarding the money of the Basilisk's carcass, settle it into the 'Potter Main Family Vault'."

With that he turned and walked out of the room quietly leaving the director of the goblin bank to gape at him, while he had a faint smile of accomplishment on his face. Since he used the array of goblin-made items as a blackmail material to make the goblins to agree to his demands and in the end he just gave it all to them free of charge. And he did it, since he had enough of the goblin-made weapons and armours stuffed into one of his extended compartments in his trunk, just in case. And this act would let him remain in the good side of the goblins even after demanding what he wanted and acquiring it. Last time around, after the war the goblins never helped him and seized many of his immovable assets as compensation for wrecking the bank on his escape after stealing Helga Hufflepuff's cup, since Hermione and the Weasley's didn't have enough to compensate their loss. He knew how much of a discomfort it was and how much it would be if he was in the bad side of the goblins and he wasn't that much of a fool to risk it.

* * *

 _ **No. 12 Grimmauld Place (Evening)-**_

He walked out of the fireplace of his home and he immediately noticed a couple of odd things. Number one, Hermione was sitting at the table with the entire group and the second thing was that all of them including the portrait of his parents, and they all had a tensed look on their faces.

"What's going on people?" He asked scrutinizing everyone carefully.

"We have an unusual problem!" Hermione answered and he instantly was on high alert knowing that if his girlfriend was this serious, then the severity of the situation must be high.

"Mione, when have our problems ever even qualified as 'normal'?" He asked with a sigh emphasizing the word 'normal' and walked to his beautiful girlfriend and gave a peck on her cheek and sat down beside her and Sirius.

"Good point…" She gave a regular shrug and smiled at him.

"I am gone for a few hours and when I come back, you people tell me that we have a problem, so what is the problem now?" He stretched both of his hands in the air tiredly however directing the question to everyone in general while questioning the nature of the problem.

"I arranged a private investigator to keep tabs on Dumbledore when he is outside the safety of Hogwarts." Amelia began out of the blue, and she quickly continued since she wanted to get this over with and he diverted his complete attention to her.

"Private Investigator…?" He asked because he was sure that there was no such wizard/witch who would do that for a living, since it's sort of modern for the wizarding society of Britain.

"Ross is a squib! I gave him access to the floo network and made him a portkey; therefore he can travel and keep up with his target and the investigation respectively. Sending an auror after Dumbledore would arise too many questions and it will definitely come back to bite me. Harry your information regarding the future is good and all, but making real-time decisions on a daily basis with that information is…, impossible. I need actionable evidence on the topic of Dumbledore's plans and that's why I hired a private investigator." She replied back to him while taking a sip from her coffee cup and shifting a little in her seat. And he noticed that in her reply there was nervousness and she also gave many reasons for questions he didn't even ask for, yet.

"Today afternoon, the private investigator submitted his weekly reports to me. When I read it, I found an entry of how Dumbledore came to Grimmauld place yesterday at late night and spent quite some time outside the house. And he specifically mentioned in his reports that whatever Dumbledore did was something that concerned the wards of the house." He observed everyone and none looked surprised as if they knew about all those things previously. He was astonished and confused with quite a few things; first of all Amelia gave a private investigator access to the house which is currently under Fidelius protection. Secondly this investigator no matter how good he was, whose mind is unprotected and so he considered this investigator untrustworthy. Thirdly she dragged Hermione into all this nonsense when he hasn't even officially introduced her to the group.

He simply sat there and idly stared at the fireplace for the next ten minutes, whereas everyone was looking at him expecting a response. He then looked directly at Amelia and said with a little base in his voice, "After we resolve this situation, we need to have a serious talk Madam Bones." To this Amelia looked angry for a moment however she gave him a grudgingly reluctant nod.

"Now give me a very blunt answer. What do you think that Dumbledore did?" He asked to no one in particular. All began simultaneously and when nothing made sense they all stopped. And they waited for the others to continue, and finally his mother had enough of the silence and took charge and began.

"Sweetie, Dumbledore could have done an 'n' number of things, but I personally think that Dumbledore might have made some alterations in the wards. When I suggested this Sirius took us all to the 'Rune Room' and I honestly couldn't make much out of the rune system, the sequence is far more advanced than any N.E.W.T level runic systems I've seen. The only thing I found is that the system has a four-corner rune system connected to a new secondary system. Then Amelia and Remus checked it and even they couldn't crack it with their experience. Hence Amelia suggested bringing Ms. Granger here so that she can inspect it. And when Ms. Granger analyzed the runes, she found the secondary rune system which looks like a pentagonal structure and that it overlaps with the primary system. Miss Granger pointed out to us that you are a Master Runologist, and that you would have a better understanding of what we are facing here." His mum ranted out quickly, and he noted the excitement and interest in her response.

Harry meanwhile was lost in thought, because his mind was still stuck in the spot when his mother mentioned a rune room that existed inside the house. Did Sirius's house really have a rune room with a rune stone and all? Then the question came, 'why didn't he know about it?' and the questions continued, 'since when did the rune room exist?'…

"We were really stunned when Lily couldn't understand the patterns in the rune room. I mean it's your mother; she is so brilliant that I wouldn't be surprised if she knew the contents of every book in the Hogwarts' library by heart. You have no idea how many times we had to endure the torture called 'your mother's lecture' and especially when she was pregnant with you. And when Ms. Granger couldn't figure it out, we were certain that Dumbledore must have done some very complex wards." Sirius said looking at him whereas he was still lost in his thoughts though his mind was vaguely paying attention to everything else that the others said. He failed to notice the murderous look that his mother was aiming at Sirius, while his father and Remus were doing their best holding their laughter fearing for his mother's wrath.

He finally broke out of his musing and asked. "We have a Rune room? Like a Rune-stone in the centre of the room kind of Rune room?" He asked as if he was drunk, as he was still wrapping his head around this new development.

"Yes, we do pup!" Sirius promptly replied and stood up from his seat giving him a wide grin. With that Sirius walked to the basement and everyone followed behind him with Remus holding his parents' portrait and he too stood up and followed the group.

On the way down he questioned to Hermione, "What did you tell your parents when you came here?"

"They don't know that I am gone, the house has a few illusions and charms inside it. But still I have to make it back before dinner or else all hell will break loose." Hermione replied with a careless pout that almost made him to kiss and bite her lips off. In the end he resorted to stare at her for the next few seconds and then shrugged it off.

"Is there a reason for why you didn't know about the Rune room in this house? With reference to the fact, that you owned this house for more than a decade after Sirius's death last time." Hermione probed him with equal amount of curiosity and humour in her tone.

"Mione, I rarely spent any time in this house after Sirius's death. At best, I may have stayed in this house for four maybe five times in the ten years living alone, after the war." He responded nonchalantly while wrinkling his right cheek.

Soon they reached the basement and then Sirius showed them to the east wall and moved a few specific bricks in certain directions and the wall opened into a doorway more like the entrance to Diagen alley from Leaky Cauldron. The first thing that caught his eye was the rune-stone, a huge blackish green crystal in the centre of the room. He immediately half kneeled on the ground and stared at the rune-stone with his mouth hung agape in utter amazement and shock.

"What is it, son?" His father questioned him looking at his surprise reaction and he was roughly broken out of his musing hearing his father's words.

"That…is a… Grade…Grade-A…Alzate Crystal." He stuttered out his reply, all but Sirius and his father gasped at his response while the two people in question looked lost.

"What is an Alzate Crystal?" His father inquired the obvious question. He was going to answer it, but his beautiful girlfriend asked another question before he could answer.

"But I thought Alzate Crystal is supposed to be dark red in colour. I have seen the rune crystal that powers the wards in the ministry headquarters!" Hermione queried him unable to contain her thirst for knowledge. He decided to answer both his father and his girlfriend by giving one small lecture.

"In 1713 a Master Alchemist named 'Morazán Alzate' accidentally created an _Alchemical Potion_ which had the unique ability to transmute itself into a solid crystal without undergoing to process of phase change." He stopped when he saw the bored blank look marring Sirius's face, so he decided to explain a little elaborately. "It means that the physical property of the solution/potion can be changed without freezing it or boiling it, and with only the use of raw magic. It's more like transfiguring water into a stone, but here you won't be using any transfiguration or freezing spells instead when the potion itself is complete, it will start absorbing ambient magic from its surroundings. And when the adsorption process completes, the potion itself will reduce and crystalize providing us with the Alzate crystal."

"There are three varieties of the crystal, Grade A, B and C. Grade-C is of light yellow in colour and 7.71 grams of it can store upto 300 milliflamels of magic. Grade-B is of dark red in colour and 4.32 grams of it can store upto 500 flamels of magic. And finally Grade-A is of blackish Green in colour and 3.58 grams of it can store upto 800 megaflamels of magic in it. And keep in mind that the average size of the magical core of an average witch/wizard ranges from 100-150 milliflamels." He wasn't really surprised to find the look of understanding dawning on everyone's face, as he not so subtly hinted the possible rarity of the object in front of them.

"Look at that rune stone…, I can't say for sure but that stone must weigh from around 5 to 8 kilos. If 3.58 grams of that stone can store upto 800 megaflamels then think how much magic 5 kilos of it can do. But then again, it's useless without the proper warding structure in place to sustain that much amount of magic. So let's see…, hmm…the wards are structured in a dual obscure overlapping pentagonal system with one common four-corner base runic system extending from ground level to the ceiling. Brilliant work indeed, but I seriously doubt that Dumbledore did this…" He analyzed the system quickly and swiftly answered surprising all others in the immediate vicinity.

"This system itself is outdated by fifty years and that there are better systems now. But still I wouldn't recommend changing it; since these structures gives you guaranteed stability of magic inside and outside the house. Since a Rune stone of that size would pull all the nearby magical leylines like a magnet attracting its polar opposite, literally making the leylines within the range of five to ten kilometres to converge onto the house like a series of strings tied to one nail. There are some inconsistencies in the magical distribution in certain parts of the house; I'm assuming that this is because of the recent changes in the wards made in here. After we undo this, it'll be fine." When he finished all the occupants looked like he had a long white beard with moustache (no pun intended).

"Is there a reason for why only the specific grams of crystal are taken into account while speaking of it general?" After a brief silence between all the occupants, Remus asked being really interested in this current topic.

His mother replied for him immediately, "It's because of the volume of a standard cauldron size, Remus. The quantity of Alchemical Potion made in a standard large cauldron will reduce and crystalize into that specific grams that Harry mentioned. So those grams of weight are considered the standard amount of measure for when the crystal itself is harvested. It's like twenty imperial gallons of Alchemical Potion reducing and crystalizing itself into those 3.58 grams of that specific rune crystal." His mother's answer left the group to wonder if the shocks of the evening will stop or keep coming.

He wanted to know if Dumbledore had access to this room, because without having such access or previously made preparations no one can alter the wards from outside. "Sirius, did Dumbledore have access to this room when he placed the Fidelius charm around the house?" He made clear that the stone was not to be tampered with and he was becoming very suspicious of Dumbledore's activities.

"Yes, pup. Dumbledore asked if he could enter the rune room and when I led him, he warded the place with the Fidelius charm." Sirius walked away from the rune stone and replied seriously.

"And where was I when that happened? I remember being with you in the house when Dumbledore came that day to cast the charm. And why did you give him access to this room in the first place?" He asked in a distracted and half-hearted tone as he walked to closer to the rune stone and kept inspecting it further.

"You were outside buying new window curtains for the rooms upstairs. And I gave him access so that he can place the Fidelius on the house and I didn't know about Dumbledore's meticulous schemes remember!" Sirius answered back looking thoughtful and anxious.

"Sirius, Fidelius is initially a charm; it's not a warding spell, while completely disregarding the fact that it's normally used in wards. A charm doesn't require a magical leyline or a rune stone for it to operate; when the caster is unavailable to supply his/her magic, all it really needs is the availability of dense ambient magic in the air for it to keep working. There is no need for Dumbledore to even come inside the house to cast the charm; he could've very well done it from the outside." He moaned in annoyance and when Sirius was going to defend, he waved it off as he understood Sirius's reasoning.

"Okay, we are dealing with this now and getting over with it once and for all. We're not wasting any more time on Dumbledore's meddling. Voldemort is out there planning and preparing, and almost on his way to coming back to life, while we are dealing with this nonsense." He said and drew his holly wand and bent down and placed the tip of the wand on top of one of the runes in the rune circle. And he channelled magic into it; the rune glowed for a second and it showed a bright string of magic going to the right side wall of the room and it subsided.

"Madam Bones, this private investigator of yours reported to you that Dumbledore made some changes in the wards of this house from outside of it; didn't he?" He stood up from his kneeling position and faced her.

"Yes, that was what he reported!" Amelia furrowed her brows and looked at him in confusion.

"If I'm right about Albus Dumbledore's devious meticulous nature then we have some things to do. If my guess is right then there will be seven square planks of stone or wood with a few runes etched in an arithmetical order and placed around the house. Take Sirius and Remus with you and find them all." He said and with that all the people inside the room walked out of the room to find the runes immediately.

* * *

 _ **One Hour Later-**_

They were all sitting silently at the table exhausted, because while Remus, Amelia and Sirius searched for the square planks outside, he and Hermione undid everything Dumbledore did in the rune room. Amelia and group found six planks outside of the house while they tracked the seventh plank buried beneath the main stairs inside the house.

After taking care of all the discrepancies and irregularities they found in the rune room, the results were beyond promising, they were mind blowing. The house itself was under the command of the head of the House Black; hence if the owner commanded then the house itself will turn against the owner's foes. And there were various other security features which were particularly too aggressive for his taste, he and Hermione managed to reactivate all those wards in record time. Not all were deactivated by Dumbledore; many of the wards were down due to years of neglect. He also added the Fidelius charm to the wards of the house permanently. The Blacks wanted the best at everything they ever owned, but they weren't really interested it in maintaining the wards in its prime conditions. Once the job was done he immediately sent Hermione back home via a portkey. After that he assured Madam Bones that she wasn't in any trouble and that he initially overreacted to the news. But also made sure to get a promise from her to get back all the access to the house from investigator Ross and wipe his memory clean of any suspicion just in case. Right now they were all resting after the day's events and he thinking of ways to tell them about his recent endeavour regarding Gringotts.

"This is absurd!" Sirius began by slamming both of his hands on the table all of a sudden, startling everyone sitting at the table.

"This is supposed to be our vacation and here we are trying to prepare for a war. Every day we're sitting here and we're planning and tackling every single obstacle that is in front of us, but we're not living." Sirius protested out loud.

"Harry, you are my godson. You came back from school so that we can spend more time together. You are not enjoying life, pup. You are waiting for it to go bad, just because you know what lies ahead of us!" Sirius almost shouted to his godson not giving him a chance to explain.

"I will not stand for this, not anymore! This world can suffer for all I care, if it doesn't allow my godson and the people I care about to feel contented in their lives." Sirius exclaimed loudly. "We are going on a vacation and that's final!"

With that his Sirius stood up from his chair and walked upstairs leaving a confused crowd to sit and wonder of 'what just happened?'

* * *

 _ **A/N: I added the entire situation with Harry's parents and conspiracy of Gringotts taking a suggestion of a reader. And I must agree with her though, If Dumbledore really stole from Harry according to my story then he must have had inside help. And that if the adults or Gringotts or the magical guardian let the commerce companies to go out of business then it's their fault not Harry's. Also that if Dumbledore really stole Harry's money in the canon then he must have stolen it when Harry trusted his vault key with the order members like Molly, so it's kind of Harry's fault, there.**_

 _ **I read about the 'flamel' measurement in another fanfiction and I liked it really. So I tweaked it a bit and decided to add it to the fic. And I am honestly at loss of how to continue the conversation with James, Lily and the others, so if you can give me some advice then I am all ears. At first I wanted to make a scene of Lily and James having a talk with Remus, Harry and Sirius, but I was stuck in the middle and couldn't continue on from there. It took me days to finally decide to exclude the entire scene and rewrite it from the beginning. And finally I think planning and planning and planning is all Harry ever does, so no fun is in the fic, so next chapter will be a full on vacation chapter. I am sorry if I overdid Harry's cognitive capabilities in this chapter, but if you think I overdid it then tell me and I will correct it.**_

 _ **And one last doubt, I don't understand why Harry compares Ginny to his mother in canon. If anything then Hermione's more like his mother apart from the red hair. They are both bookworms, both intelligent, were prefects, eventually Headgirls, they were both muggleborn and they both were the respective most intelligent witches of their age and they both cared for Harry. All Ginny had in common was the same red hair and an obsession on Harry Potter and in the end, she cleverly used Harry's inability to comprehend complex emotions and snagged him when she could.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Later-**_

The last two weeks were one of the most exhausting and tiring weeks of the month. Roughly ten days ago, Harry had a sudden growth spurt and a corresponding fever. This was followed by multiple growth spurts over the course of the next two weeks and multiple nasty fevers which followed behind it and this earned him several visits from Madam Rosalie. She advised Sirius that the best way to handle his situation was to let the growth happen in its own pace with no outside interference all the while undergoing a strict nutritional diet and physical exercise.

Sirius with the work experience as an auror and put him under a strict diet and physical exercise regimen. He gained both weight and height; hence the physical exercises burned enough calories and kept him fit. Madam Rosalie also saw fit to give him a few potions to take on a daily basis to ease his problem, as his sudden growth spurt was artificial due to being a side effect of the blood adoption.

With the weight gain and the growth spurt, his eyesight got better to a considerable level that he had to change his glasses. And for some reason his hair grew longer and it became easier for him to control the length and style of his normally unruly hair according to his will. He also noticed a change in his magical system when he used a simple 'banishing spell' after his first growth spurt. His internal magic somehow felt easier to access and he witnessed it as he tried to project his magic outside in the form of telekinesis. The range of his ability was quite wide regarding that he didn't have this much control previously prior to the blood-adoption. Madam Rosalie theorized it as his magical system maturing at a faster rate and harmonizing with his physically adolescent body as Sirius's genes were being embedded onto him. She also told them that by the time he is fifteen his magical system will be strong and mature enough to apparate without splinching himself, disregarding the fact that he already knew how to apparate, because of the control he possessed over his own magic.

The last two weeks may have been tiring, but then again it was also the time that he truly enjoyed his freedom. Because Sirius absolutely proscribed any kind of _'planning for the future'_ situation, which also meant no studying, no researching and no training. But none of this stopped him from doing some light reading, which can hardly be called light, but still none can blame him as he picked this habit up from his beautiful girlfriend. Speaking of his girlfriend, every night he used his freedom wisely by kidnapping one Hermione Granger via his firebolt through her bedroom window. They flew and enjoyed their time together; they usually flew till the first light, but they had to stop their nightly escapades when Mrs. Granger almost found them one night.

And as much as he hated to admit it, this turned out to be the right thing, since for the first time he truly enjoyed the freedom that he now had at hand. He realized that he worked really hard to earn his freedom and that he was wasting it by overly worrying about the future. But unfortunately for him, it also meant that he had to endure Sirius's boasting for being right. And he in turn got his revenge by recounting all the tales of adventures from the future, as it always gave Sirius a huge headache and earned him praises from his parents.

Currently they were in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro to be exact, and they in meaning him and Sirius. They were standing on the pavement just outside the Copacabana beach, while facing away from the ocean and towards a beautiful eight-story white building, which in reality was a five-star luxury hotel.

Sirius was entirely mysterious about their tourist destination and never breathed a word about it despite the so many times he queried, much to his chagrin. Sirius invited the Grangers, Bones and Remus to the all-expenses paid trip and they will all be brought to Brazil tomorrow via the int-portkey. While Sirius convinced him to come just so to make sure that all the arrangements were all perfectly set in place.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" He said out of breath, he never liked the feeling of portkeying across continents, but realizing that he was in Brazil and additionally the sight of the hotel was breath-taking and strangely satisfying to him.

"Impressed?" Sirius asked sporting a cheeky grin on his face.

"Yes, of course, but a little annoyed too." He replied still taking in the sights, while a mischievous smile appeared for a brief moment and disappeared.

"Why? Is it because of me not telling you our retreat destination?" Sirius asked amused not really expecting a reply.

"No, it's because I have quite a history in Brazil!" he exclaimed evenly while frowning a little.

"No, no, no…, don'…don't you start with your _'future experiences'_ shite, AGAIN. I made one mistake, by asking you one wrong question about the future, and I had to endure one whole week of recounted tales. No more…" Sirius ranted immediately to stop his godson from yakking about.

"Alright, alright…, I won't speak." He replied with a satisfied grin, while waving his hands up in the air as surrender.

Sirius gave him a mock glare at his grin and said, "Let's go in, pup. And be sure to smile and make an impression on everyone, especially on the ladies!" And with that Sirius started walking towards the entrance of the hotel with a devious grin, to which he shook his head in mock melancholy.

"Sirius, I've been here before and I certainly remember the name of this establishment and that was definitely not _'The Royale Greene Palace'_ …., do you think my time-travel caused this? I mean what is the possibility of _me_ affecting something that happened in Brazil, considering that this is the first time I'm actually out of the country…, in this timeline o'course." He started out normally, however he paused in the middle for a moment to reduce his tone, so that nobody else around him heard what he spoke.

Sirius cleared his throat and began "I don't know how to answer your question, but I can say that the hotel was refurbished recently, hence the name change!" His godfather replied to him carefully and this gesture made him a little suspicious, but he shrugged it off as paranoia.

When they were a few feet away from the lobby, he turned to Sirius and asked, "Sirius, how many rooms have you booked and under whose names? And do you have the receipt for the reservations, just in case?"

"What reservations?" Sirius asked back in a careless tone giving a nonchalant shrug.

"You haven't booked any rooms?" He slapped his forehead in shock and when his mind cleared, he roughly turned around and stomped to the lobby.

"Pup…" Sirius called out to him hurriedly, but he didn't reply and kept walking.

"Pup…." Sirius gave a dry sigh and followed Harry to the front desk, but his godson was already making enquiries.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The beautiful brunette haired and fair skinned lady asked Harry, as he reached the front desk as he cut into the queue of people.

"Do you have two family suites and three separate rooms all nearby on the same floor? If so then I would like to book those now, since I don't have reservation as this is a spur of the moment…..thing." He said to the receptionist who looked back and forth between him, Sirius and the people who was standing behind him. While all the people around who were standing in the queue before he cut into it, snarled and yelled at him at the same time, which he promptly ignored.

"Pup, listen to me, we don't need reservations bec…." Sirius was cut off by his godson again.

"You don't understand this, Sirius…." He began halfway as his godfather was speaking simultaneously.

"'CAUSE, I BOUGHT THE HOTEL!" Sirius exclaimed loudly with brief pauses in between the words, although coolly, meanwhile he was in shock.

Sirius's reply actually silenced and stopped every movement of everyone present in the lobby. Harry's mouth hung agape with his eyebrows twitching violently every now and then, however the-boy-who-lived was incapable of speech, as his mind itself was forcefully shut down. Meanwhile all the people who were standing around them were intently watching the interaction between the two raven haired folks who were obviously making a spectacle, as one of them just claimed that he bought the hotel.

"You, you…, you did…., what?" He asked stuttering excessively as his mind was still in the process of assessing the previous statement.

"It seemed neater than, you know, booking rooms and making reservations…" Sirius left his answer hanging.

The brunette haired receptionist spoke at that very moment, "Mr. Black, this is today's portfolio of appointments carefully arranged to your schedule, just as you asked it, sir." And she handed Sirius a brown file.

"Thank you, Gloria." Sirius thanked with a dazzling smile and gently took the brown file from her hand. In the meantime, Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived's eyes rolled and he fell backwards and fainted with his mouth still half open.

Sirius couldn't reach out in time, so his godson roughly fell on the floor, "Nick, will you please take my godson to my office and leave him there and make sure you lock it tightly. Because probably when he wakes up, I'm gonna be yelled at." Sirius instructed the supervisor of the front desk whilst the supervisor named Nick and one of the security guards picked Harry up from the floor and took him to Sirius's office. Sirius who watched as his employees took his godson to his office and then he sighed and walked away. Meanwhile all the people who were watching either gave a deadpanned stare or a confused look to what just transpired in front of them.

* * *

 _ **That Day (late night)-**_

Sirius and Harry were getting ready to go and get their respective guests to bring them to the hotel. That morning after his initial shock and after giving one hell of a scolding later, he came to terms with Sirius buying a five-star luxury hotel which was obviously a profitable investment, since the hotel is one of the best in the country. Sirius then gave him a tour to the hotel and then to the 'neighbourhood', which for Sirius only consisted of a beach full of women in sexy swimming costumes, to which he took his mother's advice and gave a sharp swat on his godfather's head after coming back. Sirius apparently bought the hotel just as soon as he was exonerated, and he did this in ordered to get his family vaults out of stasis and to take revenge on his family's pride by buying a muggle establishment. After that he used his family's prior contacts inside the 'Brazilian Magical Government' to make some alterations to the hotel and added one private floor on top of the eight floors.

This private floor was included purely via magic, so that it won't destabilize the building in any way and as for security Sirius insisted that even magical people shouldn't be able to see it unless invited by Sirius himself. The entire story itself was subdivided into two floors and was designed in such a way that it resembled a single penthouse with escalator stairs fitted inside connecting the two floors. The penthouse had a private swimming pool near the balcony which had a magnificent view of the beach and also with a mobile roof which can be adjusted to give both indoor and outdoor experience. And a very large balcony, big enough to take sunbaths and relax and there were game tables and games, though he had no idea why Sirius even bothered to set them up, since Sirius claimed that he had no whatsoever prior experience with it. And surprisingly TV, music system and various other electronic devices were available and most surprisingly they were in working condition.

He was initially surprised to find that the techs weren't under rapid deterioration, as those said tech were in a magically active environment. But when he examined them closely, he found a specific 'shielding spells' placed individually on each of the muggle electronics in order to protect them from deterioration. In short, the entire floor was one _huge_ luxury two-story villa, situated on top of the hotel completely invisible to others. Sirius took to calling the place as the, 'S.H.I.P' (Spectacularly Huge and Impressive Penthouse) and went as far as to claim himself the captain of the vessel, which he found to be ridiculously funny.

Apparently at first Sirius did not care what happened to the rest of the hotel, but eventually started enjoying the managing post and hence he became a very lively and participating hotel owner. He kept the hotel closed for almost an entire month and refurbished the entire hotel to his tastes sparing no expense on anything whatsoever and then he reopened it with a soft opening for a few weeks and a grand opening gala. He did all this just, so that he and his godson can enjoy the entire summer break away from home, but due to the special circumstances in their complicated life, his visit with his godson was delayed until now.

And now they were going to use the int-portkey to bring Amelia and her niece Susan and the Granger family to the hotel, whereas Remus will be arriving via apparition. Meanwhile Harry was still recovering from the shock of Sirius owning a five-star luxury hotel. And right now they were about to go and bring their guests from back home. Sirius offered to take turns on the int-portkey, but he simply made another one and told Sirius that no government would be able to find the portkeys he made, because of the portkey spell 'Nulla Porta Fabrica'.

He found out from Amelia that contrary to popular belief, the Ministry actually has no way to find if a portkey is actually being made or any other means for tracking it. Instead almost a century ago the Ministry cleverly eliminated any _detailed_ mentioning of portkeys from any book and banned all the books which previously mentioned the inner-workings of the portkey spell. This impacted to a level that very few of the current generation of wizards/witches actually knew how to cast the spell and make active portkeys. Hence the reason for the ministry's proclaimed control over portkey travels for all those years.

Whereas after the war, he clearly remembered when the Ministry supposedly claimed to be _'improving'_ the 'Taboo curse' and cast it on the use of spells such as the 'Portus spell' and all of the three 'unforgivable curses' and a few other curses. That was the main reason for why he went to all that trouble researching on the 'Nulla Porta Fabrica' spell. He realised that the Ministry mainly did this to control the crime rate at that time, which was frankly very high and completely out of control after the war.

He until now thought that the ministry only _'improved'_ the 'Taboo curse' and that the curse itself has been active for a very long time. Because until recently, he frankly speculated that Dumbledore must have _non-verbally_ made portkeys all the time and never once getting caught. But now Amelia confirmed that the Ministry wouldn't use a Dark spell like the 'Taboo curse', even if it could be used for the good of the society. Apparently the Ministry was alright with the people who already know how to cast the 'Portus' spell to make portkeys, since the number of people who knew how to cast the 'portkey spell' were very less.

Right now he and Dobby were holding onto the portkey (a transfigured goblet with five handles) and were getting ready to go to Hermione's house, while Sirius said "See you in an hour pup!"

"I'll see you in an hour, Sirius." With that both Dobby and Harry disappeared in a swirl.

* * *

 _ **Granger Residence (early morning)-**_

One Hermione Granger was excited since the day Sirius came and invited her family to the trip. And when Harry mentioned Sirius's int-portkey, which the old marauder was using daily for some reason she was sure that their trip involved going out of country. She wanted to spend some quality time with her boyfriend on this trip; she was itching for it since their failed attempt at romance, when her mother almost found out. Fortunately she was able to skilfully evade her mother's onslaught of questions next morning by pure instinct. Since she partially knew the mentality of a mother through first-hand experience and also through the foresight of what kind of questions her mother would ask her, since she had gone through this once before.

Emma Granger was very happy, because her daughter was growing out of all the weirdness, Hermione once used to exhibit as a child and now her daughter was turning into a beautiful young lady. But she was a little worried for the reason that her daughter was in her teenage years and teenagers are usually irresponsible and immature.

Recently one midnight she heard a din in her daughter's room, but when she inspected it she found nothing out of place. She questioned her daughter extensively the following morning and surprisingly Hermione answered as if nothing was wrong, but some maternal sense told her that her daughter was hiding something. Emma used to worry if her daughter would ever have a normal life, but those worries faded away when Hermione joined Hogwarts and made friends and became just like any child her age. And since her daughter was acting like any other teenager, she was happy and she decided to let her daughter be, as she suspected Harry being involved. Unexpectedly she found herself trusting Harry more than her daughter, because she herself was quite irresponsible during her teenage years. And regarding the fact that Hermione was her daughter, she simply couldn't put it behind her the possibility of her daughter being irresponsible.

Naturally her husband was oblivious to everything and she wasn't going to rattle her husband by saying that their daughter was probably hoodwinking around with a boy. And since she had her chance to fool around during her teen years, it's only fair that she gave her daughter the same chance, than to forbid her of it.

She was roughly broken out of the musing, when the doorbell rang indicating that someone was at the door. She removed her apron and hung it on the kitchen sink and walked towards the door, she opened it and was surprised to see Harry, while Dobby was invisible.

"Harry, is that you…? It is you! Come in…" She said and led Harry to the living room.

"My god Harry, you've grown taller and put on a little weight, since the last time I saw you, I can barely recognize you." Emma said in a really surprised manner.

"Yes, Mrs. Granger, I had a little growth spurt." He replied with a warm smile.

"Are you here to pick us up?" Emma asked and he nodded, but before he could answer in detail she continued.

"You're early; in fact you're very early. You were supposed to pick us up tonight." She spoke again in a hinting way.

"There has been a slight change of plans Mrs. Granger; we've to go as soon as possible." He said evenly without hesitating.

"But we haven't finished packing yet. Dan and Hermione are still asleep…" Emma replied hastily.

"Fear not…, Dobby!" He called out loud to the excited elf and the said elf appeared with a pop.

"Master Harry called Dobby. What can Dobby do for Master Harry Potter?" The elf asked almost jumping in joy.

"Dobby, this is Emma Granger, she is Hermione's mother. They are in need of your help with some packing, can you pack their things?" He asked the elf on the way introducing Mrs. Granger.

"Dobby will be happy to help, sir." With that the elf disappeared.

"So that's the elf named Dobby. Hermione was quite upset about the elf's predicament regarding slavery and she was also upset about you being the elf's owner as well." Mrs. Granger commented giving him a scrutinizing look.

"Well technically I freed the elf from an abusive master and the elf wanted to work for me since I was fair. And I don't think that's slavery, more sort of a hired help." He replied back with a knowing smile to which Emma didn't answer.

"Since, your packing problem is taken care of, what else is there Mrs. Granger?" He asked Emma in a conversational tone.

"We have two people who are still asleep in bed, and they need to be woken up." Emma answered back in a mischievous chuckle and in return he chuckled naughtily. And they both walked to the respective rooms of their targets and a few minutes later there were two high pitched screams which echoed through the house coming from each of the rooms and a roaring of laughter following behind them.

* * *

 _ **Bones Cottage-**_

Sirius appeared via portkey to the front of the Bones family Residence. He walked upto the door and knocked it for quite some time, and finally the door opened and there stood a half asleep teenage girl with red hair, which looked more like a bush.

"Good morning, Susan!" Sirius greeted the girl and the half-asleep girl in return mumbled back something incoherently, which he couldn't understand one bit.

"Is Amy home?" Ignoring the answer Sirius asked the obvious question, since he was expecting his girlfriend Amelia to open the door.

Again Susan replied something, but this time it was a little clearer and fortunately he was able to make the word 'upstairs' and he nodded thankfully.

"Can I come in?" Sirius asked again, Susan simply turned around and walked away leaving the old marauder to stand there unattended. Sirius stood there for a few minutes and then he sighed and took the lack of response as the required sign of permission and entered the house.

He walked up the stairs to his girlfriend's room and opened it without a sound and proceeded towards the sleeping figure and sat beside her. He watched his beautiful girlfriend peacefully sleeping while sitting comfortably beside her.

"Are you going to keep watching me whole day or are you going to join in with me?" Amelia asked in a sultry tone.

"I remember you mentioning to me that your niece's room was nearby and how we must keep our actions to a minimum whilst she is in the house." Sirius said in a teasing manner infuriating Amelia to no end.

She slightly opened one of her eyes and suddenly she caught hold of his shirt and roughly pulled him closer. And she smashed her lips onto his and rolled him around while ending up on top of her boyfriend with the kiss being still connected. "How was that for action?" she asked out of breath when she broke the kiss.

"Is that all you've got?" He asked again in a coy mean manner. As a result she smashed her lips onto his again even more aggressively, but Sirius broke the kiss and said, "Sorry my love, but we have a schedule to keep."

"What schedule? You were supposed to pick us up tonight, not now." Amelia complained begrudgingly.

"There has been a slight change of plans, since all the customizations and the arrangements that I previously organized were done a little earlier than expected." Sirius said excitedly.

"But that's no reason to move the clock ahead…" Amelia replied back irately.

"Yes, that's no reason to move up the clock, but it's enough reason to spend more time with you." Sirius replied back giving his trademark dazzling smile that he usually reserved for ladies only.

Before Amelia could reward her boyfriend for that smooth reply, Sirius rolled them both over the side of the bed. But they didn't fall to the ground instead Sirius landed on his feet and swiftly switched his position and picked Amelia bridal style and gave her a soft kiss.

"So shall we go on a vacation?" He asked in between kisses.

"Aye, aye Captain…" Amelia replied with a big smile.

* * *

 _ **S.H.I.P-**_

Sirius, Amelia and Susan arrived via portkey straight to the grand dining room of the 'S.H.I.P' around 1 am midnight. Sirius brought his party exactly one hour after his departure as promised to his godson. Susan was still half-asleep and really wanted to go to bed, since the time in Rio and London almost had a six hour difference, it was only around one o'clock at midnight. So when Sirius led Susan to her room, the red-haired girl simply fell down on the bed face first and a minute later she was sound asleep. But fortunately for him and Amelia this was good news, since that would give him and his girlfriend enough privacy and enough time to do something that they both knew they would enjoy. Sirius grinned mischievously looking at his girlfriend and she in return walked towards their bedroom, while coyly signalling him to follow her with one finger.

Around 5:30 am in the morning there was a loud pop which echoed in the dining room of the S.H.I.P. Sirius heard the pop sound and he slowly walked out of the restroom into his bedroom where his girlfriend was still sleeping in bed. He exited his bedroom and proceeded to the dining room and when he entered he saw his godson and the entire Granger family.

"Welcome to the S.H.I.P…" Sirius greeted everyone with a huge smile.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Mrs. Granger asked while she was taking in the sights of the penthouse in amazement.

"This is the S.H.I.P, long for Spectacularly Huge and Impressive Penthouse. And we are in…Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be exact." Sirius said proudly.

"We're in Brazil?" Mr. Granger was astounded by this development, because just mere moments ago they were in another continent.

"Yes, Mr. Granger. That's why I suggested packing your passports, it may come in handy." He smiled back at the surprised couple.

"Hermione has told us about teleportation before. And I always thought that this _teleportation_ was a very difficult thing even in the magical world. I never guessed that you could simply do it by holding onto a cup." Mr. Granger commented out loud while walking towards the gallery, where the sun was rising, giving them access to a spectacular view.

He really didn't want to go into the inner workings of a portkey, so he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. He sat on the couch facing towards the Telly and that's when Sirius asked, "What took you so long?"

"Well both Mr and Mrs. Granger had to cancel their respective appointments and hurry up with the other arrangements and then the ladies took their time to get ready, so it took a little more bloody time. Do you want me to go on….?" He asked back in a clipped tone.

"No, you don't have to. I know how you feel; I've been there myself…. Can I give you a piece of advice?" Sirius asked back curiously and in return he got a full-fledged glare. Sirius understood his godson and did a zipping motion on his lips with his hand, indicating that his mouth was shut.

Around ten o'clock that morning, Remus showed up just outside the hotel getting directions from Sirius via the 'two-way mirror'. And with that the day got even merrier with everyone talking and laughing and having fun. Late that afternoon they all hit the beach, while Remus left just as a few hours after he came insisting on meeting a friend in Argentina and borrowed Sirius's portkey and left. Apparently Amelia and Sirius knew about what Remus was doing, but they failed to share that information with him and Hermione, since Susan and the elder Grangers were present.

That afternoon he almost had a heart attack when he saw his girlfriend in a blue bikini. And it didn't help one bit when Susan and Sirius started teasing him ceaselessly much to the amusement of all the others. He in turn won over Sirius by simply whispering to him about the evidence of actions Sirius and Amelia were involved in. Honestly he played that bluff purely hoping that they did what they did and fortunately for him he was right. And then he stopped Susan's assault on him by mentioning her crush on Cedric Diggory to Amelia. Eventually in the end he was happy that he won against both of his rivals and spent a good amount of time with his girlfriend and made an impression on his girlfriend's parents.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later (31**_ _ **st**_ _ **July, Afternoon)-**_

The last two days were absolutely fun for the young couples. They visited the 'Tijuca Forest National Park' and walked up the 700m tall Corcovado Mountain and saw the 'Christ the Redeemer' statue. They spent the day by taking photos before the statue and then had a nice big dinner and came back to the hotel after a tiring day.

The next day they both went paragliding just as he promised to Hermione, while Amelia, Susan and the elder Grangers joined in with them. They all started from the top of the Mountain Pedra Bonita and then the instructors/pilots took people paragliding one by one. Since he already had enough experience hang-gliding, so he placed a mild illusion on himself and secured himself a glider and went hang-gliding.

As of right now he and Hermione were enjoying the salty wind that was drifting their 'Beetle Cat' Catboat deep into the sea. He was able to rent a catboat in 'Angra dos Reis' from a friend he used to know in the previous timeline. He reintroduced himself to the Angolan Wizard who settled in Brazil years ago after doing a successful wholesale Apothecary ingredient business. Initially it was difficult, because Carlos Gouveia was a hard man with a distrustful nature, but after he convinced that he really was 'the Harry Potter', it was nothing more than a mere formality. Right now they were sailing through the sea towards 'Ilha Grande' from 'Angra dos Reis' under a modified invisibility spell, so not to be disturbed by anything or anyone.

Once the boat was deep enough from shoreline, he slowed the boat and he laid on the mat enjoying the sun even if it was a little too hot for his taste. His beautiful girlfriend in her sexy swimming costume which was in actuality a very revealing silver two-piece, she slowly laid her head on his left shoulder and relaxed beside him.

"Are you enjoying yourself today, birthday boy?" Hermione asked as she slowly leaned into him and ended her statement with a soft kiss on his lips.

"I am, my love." He replied and this he gave her a kiss.

"Well Sirius is gonna be jealous when he finds out that I enjoyed my birthday by spending it with my beautiful girlfriend in a beautiful catboat." He said while giving her, a suggestive look to which she licked her upper lip and returned a sultry smile.

She brushed her lips on his teasingly and withdrew a few seconds later. Harry was more impatient than usual, he sneaked his hands on her hips and with one flip he was on top of her. "Time to claim my birthday gift…!" With that he claimed her lips in a feral kiss to which she responded with an involuntary moan.

The wet passionate kissing continued for the next few minutes until Hermione slipped her hand into his shorts. He immediately stopped and half rolled away from her, "No, no, no…, that's where I'm drawing the line."

"What? Why, Harry?" Hermione sat up sounded irritated and vexed.

"We are…, not…ready for that, not physically at least." He replied out of breath and honestly he sounded a little disappointed.

"Harry, we both know that we want this…and we're teenagers, we're more than ready." Hermione used both of her palms to cup his face.

"Really, are we…? No my love, this isn't you rationally talking, it's your hormones wanting." He replied to her softly and leaned in and gave a small peck on the tip of her nose.

"I'm tired of safe, Harry. Let's break all of our restrictions and be free and enjoy for now." She sat on his lap and turned her head slightly backwards to face him.

"Honey…, I want it to happen too, but we've a special situation in our hands. Mentally we crave for such intimacy, but physically it's just too early and not to mention risky. Maybe we can in a year or two, but until then have patience love. All things come to those who wait!" He slipped both of his hands around her and hugged her back tightly towards him and he slowly rocked them back and forth.

Harry literally felt the tension relieving from his loving girlfriend's body. "Okay, but foreplay is allowed until then…" Hermione replied with a cute pout.

He took his blackthorn wand out and gave a short swish aiming on his backpack that was in the catboat's small cargo rack. His backpack opened and a Canon EOS 500 SLR camera flew out and levitated in front of them. The camera was the gift that his beautiful girlfriend presented him with for his birthday.

He slowly stood up unsteadily while picking up his girlfriend bridal style, "If foreplay is allowed then this is too!" With that he jumped into the water with Hermione in his arms and the camera clicked.

The next hour consisted of swimming together and some photograph sessions in the water. Finally after spending another hour navigating left towards 'Ilha Grande' they reached reef crest of the 'Praia da Feiticeira' beach and it was shallow enough for him to keep the boat stationary. And they both jumped into the shallow waters and swam deeper towards the coral. Harry swam beside Hermione and intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer and they both kissed underwater.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the very short chapter people and that it took me this long to update. But remember that, it was not without a very good reason. Recently I met with a motorway accident and I**_ _ **was**_ _ **severely injured. I have two compound fractures in my left arm and I had a plastic surgery on the left side of my face and I lost several of my teeth. So since the time I returned home from the hospital, I've been in bed rest and the only thing i could do was correcting the chapters of my first fanfic and re-uploading it. Honestly that's all I could do with one arm, so no hardcore typing.**_

 _ **Two days ago they removed the dressing on my left arm and since then I've been busy typing this chapter as fast as possible. They told to give constant movement to my arm and so I did as told. So I ask you to forgive me if this chapter isn't upto notch and I really tried to make it special, but after the break I simply can't continue with the swiftness I had before. And trust me when I say this, upcoming chapters will be good and be up every ten days.**_

 _ **And guys fourth year is going to be up in a few chapters and I'll be following canon, but I've been thinking about making changes in the three tasks. Since this is a different timeline from the original and the events must start changing and turning out differently, due to the butterfly effect. Please feel free to Review or criticize me and this chapter.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank you…**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this because I am writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who take the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Three Days Later (S.H.I.P)-**_

The entire trip seemed to last longer than anyone expected, since Sirius didn't seem to object to anything, in fact the Marauder looked happier every day. Dan, Sirius and Remus got along very well, as the men took this unique opportunity to bond by comparing the sporting events in both the worlds. Sirius was well versed of about every sporting event in the magical world and Dan shared his knowledge about regular games, meanwhile Remus was familiar with both magical and mundane sports. That was enough for the men to start testing the pool tables and very soon they were playing pool games. Dan already knew how to play the games and surprisingly Remus too seemed to know and Sirius was very interested to learn the game, hence the men played for hours every day. He politely declined to join with them after watching one billiards game, because he knew that he was rubbish at billiards and he didn't have much hope with the other pool games either.

Currently all the females and him were all in the sundeck having a sunbath under the early afternoon sun.

"I must say this Emma; this moisturizer of yours is truly a wonder drug…, so is all your other cosmetics!" Amelia spoke in a chirpy tone.

"Amy, I can't possibly comprehend living in a world with no shampoo or conditioner. I'd never know how you magical folks manage your hair…" Emma replied back playfully.

"Well I usually tie my hair into a bun, when I go to work. And when the situation needs a little temperament we use the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, which has various assortments of essences and aromas. In fact the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion was indeed the very first attempt to replicate muggle cosmetics and it was a success too. But unfortunately very few other companies followed behind Harry's grandfather in his line of work, so the magical world doesn't have that much beauty products in the market." Amelia shared her disappointment with Emma.

"Harry's grandfather?" Emma asked curiously, while scrunching her face in confusion.

"Yes, Harry's grandfather was the one who invented the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion! And that made him a millionaire too since his product was a huge hit." Amelia replied descriptively.

"Interesting…Harry failed to share this information with me!" Emma replied with a joking smile.

"Can't blame him though…, he has too much on his plate right now, with the studying and managing his family businesses and besides it was only recently that he learned about his grandfather." Amelia spoke in a light supportive tone.

"He's managing his family's businesses too…?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Hasn't he told you about it yet?" Amelia asked in a surprised manner. Amelia found it a little odd that Harry hasn't told Hermione's parents about the recent events, regarding the fact that Harry was very close with the Grangers. She knew that the entire time-travel fiasco was under tight wraps, but this was entirely another topic.

Meanwhile Emma was wondering about the raven haired boy's life. She knew that Harry was supervising his parents' businesses and bank accounts via the goblins' help in that wizarding bank, but she had no idea that he was actively running the businesses.

"Harry, is this true? Are you really looking after your family's businesses now?" Mrs. Granger asked to the raven haired boy who was sitting under the beach umbrella and was seriously reading a book.

When there was no indication that the teen was even listening to her Emma called him again, "Harry, are you listening?"

Harry looked up looking a little confused as he wasn't paying attention to what Mrs. Granger was saying instead he was fully engrossed in reading the book. He was so very absorbed that he wasn't even paying attention to Hermione's sexy outfit which was especially designed to steal his attention. Meanwhile Hermione wasn't surprised by Harry's reaction in the least, because she too was like this when she first read the book herself. She was the one who gave Harry the book in the first place; the book was one of Salazar Slytherin's translated research notebooks. Hence it was natural for a Runologist like Harry to be so interested in it.

"What is it, Mrs. Granger?"

"Amy here told me that you're looking after your family's businesses now. Is it true…?" Emma asked to the fully attentive Harry. Meanwhile Harry looked around and he noticed Susan who was listening attentively to the impending conversation and then he noticed the keen and sharp look directed at him by Mrs. Granger and he gulped involuntarily.

* * *

 _ **Riddle Manor-**_

The dark painted ethereal house looked just as mysterious in the afternoon light as at night. The inside of the manor was cold, dark and had an eerie silence. The only sound that resonated around the walls was the slow but constant shuttering of the partially opened window due to the slight morning breeze. The room in the northeast corner of the house was actually housing the most dangerous megalomaniac of the century.

The door opened with a click and the small child-like creature sitting in the armchair in front of the burning fireplace slowly turned its head to look who was at the door. A pale man with a straw coloured mop of hair and slight freckles on his skin came inside with another hooked nose man with greasy hair. But both the men were glaring at eachother for some reason.

"Severussss…" The child-like creature known as Voldemort spoke in a slithering tone.

"My lord…" Snape walked forward and he immediately kneeled on one knee before Voldemort showing his allegiance.

"I never expected you to come…among all those who once followed me!" Voldemort claimed in a sweet, but icy tone.

"I didn't expect your loyalty to win through this long in time…, my servant. Since you weren't an easy man to handle…"

"But…, neither was the job that I assigned you."

"Rise up…my servant!" Voldemort commanded and Snape rose and stood straight.

"My lord, but this man betrayed your forces and got asylum from Dumbledore." Barty quickly spoke to Voldemort while still glaring at Snape.

"My lord, I've always been loyal to you and you only! I'm here to serve you, Master." Severus strongly defended himself against Barty Crouch Jr.

"No, Barty. It was under my orders Severus did what he did…! It was his job to provide me with information that was particularly difficult to acquire at that time. And you have indeed done your job quite well!" Voldemort explained to Crouch Jr and commended Severus of his work.

Snape couldn't believe it that he was accepted in by Voldemort this easily, but what he didn't know was that Voldemort didn't have much of a choice but to trust him. Voldemort was in the process of resurrecting himself and winning back all what he lost; all of this laid in the attempt to demoralize the hope of the people. And the Slytherin descendent knew that he must kill both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore to achieve that goal. But first he must eliminate the easier target of the both, 'Harry Potter'. To the magical community of Britain and Harry Potter was the symbol of hope, he was the living belief that they can recover from anything no matter how lost the world seems. The last descendent of Salazar Slytherin knew that he had to eliminate the Potter survivor first before he moves forward and for that he needed Severus's help and information. Meanwhile he also knew that he had to keep the Potioneer in line and on a short leash.

"But still how can I know that you're still loyal to me, since I don't remember ordering you to abandon my ideologies all together after I was gone. Severus, prove to me that you are as loyal as you claim to be…, what information have you brought for me?" Voldemort questioned the Potioneer with a dangerous smile. To this Barty gave aimed a sharp look towards Snape and twirled his wand in a readying fashion.

"My lord, I hold thirteen years' worth of information. What would you like to know, just tell me where to begin?" Snape confidently asked back to the Slytherin descendent to which the said descendent grinned back dangerously as well as happily.

" **Tell me about Harry Potter!"**

* * *

 _ **In Brazil-**_

It was almost nightfall and Harry was now walking back and forth with the large tome still half open in his hand. But Harry wasn't really reading it; he was simply staring into space. Amelia, Sirius, Dan and Emma just left downstairs to take a walk along the beach and to talk about various things. Remus went to Argentina again in order to finish some private business. He already finished explaining everything about him managing his businesses to Mrs. Granger. And he sort of placed a delayed memory charm on Susan to make sure that she didn't blurt out the details she heard here to anyone back in school. Mrs. Granger was fine with him looking after his family's businesses and she even told him that she was proud of him being a responsible boy. Both the elder Grangers were very relaxed, since the doctors were enjoying the vacation with their daughter.

Hermione was in the shower and he really wanted to tell her his new discovery. He was so excited that he went to the bathroom and knocked on the door. Hermione opened the door slightly and peeped outside a little and asked, "What is it, Harry?"

"I need to talk to you!" He replied bluntly.

"I can see that, Harry… What is it? I'm kind of busy…" Hermione replied just as bluntly.

"Let me in and I'll explain it to you!" Harry said really wanting to explain to her while completely neglecting the fact that his girlfriend was naked in there and that he was giving her the perfect opportunity for her to plan something devious.

"One moment please!" Hermione chirped enthusiastically and closed the door then tied her towel around her body and opened the door. While Harry being the naïve but enthusiastic self at the moment didn't notice the danger he was walking into.

"Mione, you won't believe…this..." Harry stopped in mid-sentence when he noticed the Cheshire catlike grin on his girlfriend's face.

"I sure won't!" With that his girlfriend untied her knot and dropped the towel and that single act almost caused him a heart attack. He now understood the gravity of his situation, as he noted that his naked girlfriend was in between him and the door whereas he was stuck in the corner.

* * *

 _ **Roughly Twenty Five Minutes Later-**_

A fully wet Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed in his shorts without his shirt, while his beautiful girlfriend was straddling his hips, with only a towel around her upper body. Harry was gazing up into her eyes and she was gazing back down into his eyes.

"If not for the fact that Sirius and the others may come back unannounced, I would've been getting my sweet revenge on you right now…" Harry said with a slight smile.

"Your sweet revenge as in…what?" The bushy haired witch asked back in a mischievous smile.

"My revenge as in that, you won't be walking straight for a week, Miss Granger." He spoke keeping his stern exterior with a hint of proud smile on his face.

"Can you back up that claim, Mr. Potter?" She gave a small peck to his lips and whispered seductively.

"Oh no, you're not tricking me into it again!" He rested his forehead on hers' and whispered back to her in a playfully reprimanding manner.

"Oh pretty please…" Hermione pouted back at him cutely.

"Mione, this isn't a joke! What we tried in there was an unwanted risk. It was only my presence of mind that you aren't pregnant right now!" Harry said in a really worried tone.

"Harry, this is a safe time for me." Hermione replied back immediately to ease his worries.

"Still it's not…." Harry stopped halfway and sighed deeply while observing her carefully. She was looking away from him being a little upset, he slowly caught her chin with his thumb and pointer finger and turned her face and kissed her briefly. "A life with you after the war is the only thing that keeps me going…, that's my goal, my vision. And we have to be careful until then…, but still…nothing says that we can't fool around a little does it." This earned him a cute chuckle from her and she leaned in and kissed him again.

With that she separated and stood in front of him, "Go get dressed, Miss Granger!" Harry mock ordered her while giving a small tap on her butt.

She in turn winked at him and untied the knot of her towel and let it fall on the ground leaving her completely naked and then she walked away swaying her butt seductively. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head in amusement and followed behind her to get his discarded shirt.

* * *

 _ **In the kitchen-**_

After dressing up and playing around a little they both finally calmed down. Sirius and others came back soon enough after that. And finally when everyone went to bed they both slowly sneaked out of their respective rooms and reached the kitchen. The kettle was on the stove and the water inside was boiling. When it whistled, he brought the kettle down and poured the water into the cups and placed the teabags into them. He handed one cup to Hermione and he took a sip from his own cup.

"Now onto business, I had a stray thought when I was reading that book you gave me. We couldn't figure out the function of those seven planks we found outside of the _Grimmauld place_ right…?" Harry started seriously.

"Because there was no data collected in it, since it wasn't active yet." Hermione continued to speak for him.

"Yes, then I had this thought, what if we could find a similar ward structure to which we know all the limitations and its functions are…" He stopped and pointed the fact.

"Then we would be able to correlate both the structures and find the other system's specifics." Hermione grinned at the idea, because it was genius and she had a good idea of what place Harry was hinting.

"We have to go to _privet drive_ and find out the wards which were placed there!" She was almost jumping in excitement.

"Yes and here's the best part. What kind of wards did Dumbledore say that he casted there?" He asked the question again.

"Blood wards!"

"Exactly, blood wards. What if, those planks we found around the _Grimmauld place_ were blood wards too? And I remember Dumbledore mentioning that my presence in _privet drive_ recharged the wards and that's what bugs me the most, the word he used 'recharge', what did he mean?" Harry carefully speculated his theory.

"Well let's hope that we get some answers." Hermione said as she caught hold of his right hand. With that they both disappeared in a swirl of bending space.

* * *

 _ **Privet Drive, Little Whinging (Surrey)-**_

It was a little past six am in the morning and the street was almost deserted. They both landed on their feet and stumbled in their step briefly. They walked forward and when _14 Privet Drive_ was just twenty yards away from them they both stopped and gave a nod to eachother. With that Hermione looked around to make sure that no one was watching them, while Harry took out his blackthorn wand and pointed it at his uncle's house. After a few waves while still pointing towards it, he was positive that there were no active wards in and around the place.

"We're clear!" He said in a calculative tone.

"Same here honey, no one's watching us!" Hermione replied back and oddly it sounded like she was being sarcastic, to which he shook his head slightly with a slight smile touching his face.

They both closed in on the house and just as they were a few feets from the front door, Harry casted a lasting illusion and soundproofing charms around the house just as a precaution. After pocketing his wand he knocked on the front door and after quite a few knocks, his fat uncle opened the door slightly and viewed who it was.

"What are you doing here freak? GET LOST…!" And he wasn't disappointed as he was given the expected greeting for people who were of his relatives' level of standards.

Vernon slammed the door close and he heard the dragging noises of his uncle's receding footsteps. "My love, stand back a little." He told his girlfriend and just as Hermione took a few steps backwards, he kicked open the door with one swift kick.

"You're gonna pay for that FREAK…" His uncle roared and rushed towards him, just when his uncle was at arm's length he leaned right and gave a quick chop to the front of his uncle's neck with his right hand.

The end result was that the suffocating and coughing body of Vernon Dursley sprawled on all fours near the front door. He jerked his right hand and he swiftly drew his Holly wand from his wand holster and then he barely whispered, **"Stupefy"** and **"Obliviate"** as he pointed it at his uncle's downed form while walking past him. The previously suffocating Dursley was now out cold on the floor.

"VERNON…!" Petunia saw his deeds and yelled out her husband's name.

"Freak, what have you done to him?" Petunia Evans Dursley moved away from the kitchen counter and rushed towards her husband with a frying pan still in her hand. Moments later the same combination of spells were used again by Harry and as an outcome his aunt too slumped down on the floor leaning on the outward side of the kitchen's counter.

"Mione, please secure the area. I'll be right back!" Harry said and ascended up the stairs.

A few minutes later Harry came back down making sure that his pig of a cousin doesn't wake up anytime soon. "Let's get to work…" He said and instructed Hermione to look for central rune plank inside the house, while he searched outside.

After almost an hour, the two lovers were sitting on the dinner table having tea, while reviewing the five square planks and one pentagonal plank which they found in and around the house, and all of which were now carefully arranged on top of the table. They were analysing the planks and studying the parchments in which the data collected from the wards were written. The central pentagonal plank was found in the centre of the house buried barely a couple of feet away from the kitchen area. And the other five planks were found 16.4 yards straight from the five sides of the central pentagonal plank.

Hermione slowly sneaked a look at Harry who was reading the bit of parchment in his arm intently. "Harry…" She began softly. "Mhmm….Yes Mione…?" Harry replied distractedly.

"Harry, you won't…believe this! The weekly absorption of magic these wards absorb to keep themselves active is an average of…140 milliflamels." Hermione said seriously.

"Wow, these must have been some strong wards then…" Harry exclaimed half-heartedly while still reading his parchment.

"Honey…, I think the wards absorbed your magic on a daily basis to keep themselves active!" Hermione spoke softly almost hesitantly.

"What…? What do you mean?" He asked in shock.

"I mean your guess was right. These wards absorbed your magic when you used to live here, mostly because there is no magical leylines nearby." She replied carefully.

"So you're saying that the wards recharged off of me! But that's impossible, not exactly impossible…, but still I mean I'd have definitely felt a drain if _most_ of my magic is absorbed." He replied in a logical way.

"Honey, during your vacations, the wards absorbed roughly 115 milliflamels of magic per day for two whole months during your teenage years, which means it…, drained you completely every single day to sustain itself for an entire year. Because the wards doesn't have a magical source to support it when you're gone to school. That's why you felt weak and exhausted at the day's end when you lived here. And since your magical core was big even when you were a child, because of the Horcrux that's inside of you, availability wasn't the problem. And before you started your studies in Hogwarts the wards only needed 20 milliflamels for recharging the wards every day, because you lived here for the whole year." Hermione speculated cogently.

"But what about the early years in my life, when I was just a child, I surely wouldn't have been able to support the wards with my magic then…" He asked back doubtfully.

"Look here Harry, the data shows that a steady source of magic was here during your first seven years in this house. And the source was expired for some reason and then it started absorbing your magic." Hermione informed him after referring the parchments for a few minutes.

"Seven years you say…, can you tell me the exact number of days it was active?" He asked curiously.

"Roughly two thousand five hundred days… Why do you ask?" She questioned him with the exact same curiosity.

"A magical battery…! That's the only phenomenon which makes sense. But a magical battery big enough to support wards for almost seven years is very rare, too rare indeed, because a magical battery of such capacity can only be manufactured by the ministry and why would they need it in the first place." He stopped briefly as it dawned on him. "Hermione, do you know there is a cold case where a magical battery specially designed and manufactured by the ministry for uses in Azkaban was stolen by someone. The battery was neither recovered nor pursued after, and there were no suspects too, because naturally everybody assumed that it was the Death Eaters who stole it. But I think Dumbledore stole it for some reason and this was the reason."

"When did this happen, Harry?" She questioned him out of curiosity.

"Just after the last war…" He replied casually.

"Makes sense…" She agreed with him.

"Mione, what about the time when I left this house abruptly during the middle of my vacation in my third year and fifth year…? Does the ward have instructions regarding such eventualities or did someone charge it after I was gone?" He asked, because he wanted to be clear about the functions of the wards.

"When was it…? It was during last August right?" She asked and he gave a somewhat unsure nod. "It was charged by someone after you left?" She gave him an answer after searching for a while.

"So the magic that recharges the wards doesn't necessarily have to be mine or ambient, it can be anyone's huh…?" Harry questioned himself and mused silently for a while.

"Let's review what we have found until now." He suggested and he decided to go first.

Harry began, "I'll go first. The wards that secured this house have some unique functions. First of all the wards were actually pulled from me. Dumbledore cleverly used my blood as a basis to pull the blood protection from my skin, which was there due to my mother's sacrifice and he sort of stretched it around the house. By doing so he almost nullified the blood protection on my skin and note this, even then it was powerful enough destroy Quirrell's physical body by mere touch. So if Dumbledore hadn't stretched my blood protection then it most probably would have been strong enough to protect me from strong curses. Coming back to the point, the stretched magical protection kind of protected me from anybody who meant ill will. That's the reason I was safe here from Death Eaters who obviously meant harm, because they couldn't find me due to this type of warding. But still I couldn't find any mention in the wards about my blood and my aunt's, so I can say for sure that Dumbledore lied to me about the 'Bond of Blood charm', which isn't really surprising."

"And apart from that there are several other wards which were in place. This property was partially unplottable due to some form of 'Unplottability Charm', but with special specifications like anyone magical won't be able to find this place unless you have been here beforehand or when led by someone who already knows this location. And the mails that I was supposed to receive via owls were all redirected to go somewhere else by a 'Mail Redirecting Charm', but to where to, it's unknown. And a very strong Defensive enchantment that protects the house from curses casted by dark wizards. And finally a 'Mind Binding Hex' and that was added much later to the wards just around the time when the wards started draining my magic and Mione I'm one hundred per cent sure that it was to keep me emotionally stunted. Dumbledore obviously wanted to keep me emotionally stunted; as such he needed a steady source of magic which could intrude into _my_ mind regularly, but still where my mind wouldn't find it intrusive. It's like a Legilimency attack where my own magic is absorbed by the wards and projected back at me and since my body is naturally tuned to my own magic, I wouldn't feel a thing. Usually this charm is used on magical mansions to make it look like a haunted place, where the muggles will sense an oppressive feeling and it'll make them flee in fear. Meanwhile Dumbledore cleverly modified it and used it on me to keep his 'asset' in a constant state of fear, self-doubt and uncertainty." Harry finished his lecture and took a deep breath while he took another sip from his teacup.

Hermione meanwhile was referring her parchments correlating with what Harry just explained. "Harry, with what you said and from what I decoded from this wards' structure I've come to this conclusion. I'm assuming apart from the regular protective enchantments, Dumbledore has added two other wards to the Grimmauld Place's security array."

"What two wards?"

"I think the first one is the 'Mind Binding Hex', but I'm not sure about its specifications or modifications of it as we don't have any data regarding it, since the wards itself were inactive. But the next one is what troubles me the most; I think that the next one was a 'Portkey Location Tag'…" She was interrupted by an obviously shocked Harry.

"No way, I'd have definitely noticed a 'Port-Tag' in the structure." He spoke as he stood and walked behind her and supported himself on her chair and leaned closer to her side.

"Where is it?" He asked leaning closer to her.

"I think I know why you didn't notice it the first time!" She replied and then she hid both the top and bottom of the rune diagram on the parchment with her palms. "Now look closely and tell me what it looks like…" Hermione said and now he found the diagram of a 'Port-Tag'.

"I see…, Dumbledore designed it as a two-way rune array. He did it so that the 'Shock Hold Trigger' and the 'Portkey Location Tag' will work one at a time. 'Shock Hold Trigger' will start working when the house itself is under attack to sustain the surging magic and the 'Port-Tag' will only initiate when Dumbledore portkeys into the house, even though the 'Anti-Portkey' charm is active. But the two won't work simultaneously, so it's safe to say that Dumbledore had no intention of helping us, he just wanted to come inside the house without Sirius's or my permission for some reason." He surmised from what he knew, nonetheless he was impressed with his girlfriend.

"Honey, I've probably said this a lot of times, but I can't help myself. Hermione you're a genius!" He said with a kiss to her right temple.

"Well no matter how many times you say it, I won't get tired of hearing it especially when it's from you." She replied and she gave a small peck to his left cheek.

"Since we found what we wanted to know, let's pack up shall we…?" Hermione suggested and he smiled and replied, "Let's leave, but as you pack just make sure that you stun and 'Obliviate' my uncle again."

"Why Harry?" She questioned because the fat man was still on the ground.

"Because he's already awake and he's just pretending to be asleep and he's also eavesdropping on us…" He reasoned with her and she nodded impassively.

This answer made his uncle to try and get up as fast as possible, but before he could even stand, he was stunned again by his girlfriend. As Hermione was making sure that the walrus like man was still unconscious, Harry made sure to leave no loose ends and he checked and rechecked his aunt and cousin's respective states.

With that they made several diagrams of all the rune structures and then destroyed the planks. And when he destroyed the planks he felt the residual magic in it withdrawing into himself, as he felt a tingling sensation on his skin for a few minutes. And then they packed up and left the house immediately, and within minutes they were on the other end of the street.

"Where are we going now, honey?" Almost ten minutes later, Hermione asked as they were still walking as her boyfriend showed no indication of using the portkey.

"Well since we're already _here_ , I thought we could go and check on the 'properties' that I own, and thought that you wouldn't mind." He replied a little hesitantly.

"Harry, you told me that we would check on the wards and we did it. Now can we go home?" Hermione voiced it in an irritated manner.

"I promise you it'll take only a few hours at most…" He tried to reason but Hermione wouldn't have any of it.

"Harry, we haven't slept in a while and we're both exhausted, let's go home and we can surely come back another time." Hermione reasoned while slowly playing on his chest with her fingers.

"Okay, fine…!" He agreed albeit reluctantly with a sad frown on his face.

Hermione slowly whispered something into his ears and he had a stunned look on his face and he was blushing furiously. "So shall we?" She asked and he nodded idly. And with that they both took hold of the cup and they both disappeared with a swirl of bending space.

* * *

 _ **Sorry that it took a few months, but I had to work extra hard on finishing my pending work. And on top of that I had no choice but to agree on taking a trip to India on an 'ecosystem survey' despite my recent and still healing injuries. And trust me when I say this, the Internet connection is too darn slow in that country. Three weeks in the South Indian forest was mind refreshing, because of its obviously unparalleled beauty. But at the same time very mind-numbing with no social network, no Instagram, no songs or videos. And with all this, it was raining every few hours making it too darn humid and it was even painful with no proper loo. Sorry for rambling on, but my idiot of a professor and the Dean are complete jerks. They think that they can just order people around and they doesn't care about my pain in the least. When I asked, they said to me that I'd be losing an opportunity to visit another country and learn many things, can you believe that?**_

 _ **Again I'm sorry, my readers' choice question. Should Snape be involved in the upcoming plans devised by Voldemort or should he be 'supposedly' spying on Dumbledore under Voldemort's orders? And should I bash the Weasleys a little more like one of you prefers or should I keep Harry neutral towards the family? And the fourth year is officially beginning in the next chapter and I never really got any answers to my previous question. Should I make changes in the 'three tasks of the Triwizard championship' or keep them the same like in the canon? And finally who should I pair Susan with, give me some suggestions? And Susan will be officially included into the study sessions like Harry's and Hermione's other friends.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading and supporting me this long, criticisms and reviews are welcomed.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I've read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. But in this story there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Express (1**_ _ **st**_ _ **September)-**_

Hermione Jean Granger was excited about spending another year with Harry alone. After coming back home from Brazil, Harry visited the Granger household almost every single day. They spent the remaining days before school playfully studying muggle education curriculum for their future University studies. Apart from all that Harry taught her the basics of fencing and how to handle a knife during hand-to-hand combat. Her father was very interested about Harry's knowledge in hand-to-hand combat where her boyfriend simply eased her father's curiosity by replying that his fencing tutor being a former veteran soldier and how the man taught Harry.

With all this, her past/future was almost just a vague nightmare. Last time around she had a crush on Harry since their first year. Before coming to Hogwarts she was closed off and antisocial, hence this led her to fantasize about having adventures with her imaginary friends. She was thrilled when her fantasy became a reality when she came to Hogwarts and made friends with Harry and Ron. During her third year she even went as far to having romantic dreams about Harry, but unfortunately he never returned her feelings, because Harry didn't understand what he _felt_ in the first place. And during their fourth year something changed in him which she couldn't quite place…, Harry no longer wanted adventure, he just wanted a quiet and normal life and on top of that she understood that Ron was interested in her as more than a friend. She wanted to have adventures and break the rules with her friends; she desperately craved for such an adventurous life just like Ron, but unlike her former friend/husband she wanted it because she desired to feel more alive, not for the fame. She ultimately forced herself to believe that she'll not be able to fulfill her desires with a person who didn't want to be audacious. She did this as an excuse for Harry's muteness, eventually she considered Harry as a person who wanted nothing to do with his life, which he considered rather insalubrious. Hence she started noticing Ronald as more than a friend, who wanted to have such adventures and escapades for the fame and recognition.

The next couple of years went by far too quickly for her own liking and she just assumed Harry's muteness as his disinterest in _her_ , so she gave up on him thinking that the Ronald wasn't that bad. But by the end of her fifth year she understood the seriousness and the true extent of Harry's problems. At that same time she understood that adventure wasn't everything in life, but she couldn't will herself to break Ronald's heart by ending their abnormal relationship, which would've undoubtedly portrayed her negatively to Harry and he would've took Ron's side as usual. Eventually she distracted herself from her confusions and dissatisfactions by focusing on Ron who recompensed her insecurities by noticing her as a woman and by making her feel appreciated. Eventually she learned to love Ron even with all of his glaring faults that she hated so much, but still she kept feeling like her life wasn't anything special and there was an apparent but unspoken disappointment that she hid in the depths of her heart.

Her heart wavered every now and then during the last years of Hogwarts and during the war, whenever Harry was involved in anything. Finally the war ended and they all survived and she moved on, she started working for the ministry and eventually Ron proposed and they got married, meanwhile distancing themselves from Harry to the point where they cared little about him or his opinions. She did it because of her disappointment in herself and to forget about him, as she believed him to be a dishonest man after his break up with Ginny. Meanwhile Ron cared no more about Harry; since he had everything he needed and had no more use for his former friend. However their happiness was short-lived until Ron started showing his true colors having grown tired of Hermione's beauty and her successful life.

It was already too late when she realized that she had made a mistake by choosing Ronald. After enduring a couple of years under him, she finally made the decision that she didn't just want to get out of the marriage, she decided that she wanted a fresh start. That thought process was the reason which fueled her desire into developing the 'Time Warp Charm'. There were many reasons for why she wanted to do that, but the most influential of them was finding the truth about why Ron became interested in her in the first place. Apparently during the start of third year Ronald overheard Harry mumbling _her_ name in his sleep and out of fear that Harry would also end up 'getting the girl', Ron decided that he must do something about it. She learned the glimpse of this horrifying truth when she used her almost stout Legilimency on Ron's untrained mind. For Ron, she was just a trophy and a constant reminder of his victory over Harry by _'getting the girl'_ and a proof that he was out of Harry's shadow forever. She felt guilty about a lot of things, so to think 'that maybe she had the chance to have the perfect life like she imagined', but knowing that she gave up all that just because she never had the guts to talk to Harry directly about what she felt about him.

The pain was unbearable, so she kept track of his movements by studying and learning about his various achievements. This was one of the reasons why she wanted to go back in time. Not only to escape from her marriage entirely, but also to track down Harry who became an 'Investigative Auror' just to hear his side of the story. She wasn't afraid of what she might hear from Harry, if he told her he loved her then it was well and good, but if she hears the other, then she might at least have a closure. This was one of the reasons for why she was so very eager to investigate into Harry's life, so to understand his accidental confession when he stated for why he loved her. And the other one of the reasons being the slight hope and a strange fantasy of hers, in which he would admit his feelings towards her and accept her wholeheartedly. And that was why she was so furious when she saw Harry's fears/memories in 'the Room of Requirements', because even after the war, even when he had the freedom he longed for, he was still living in misery due to his affection for her. Fortunately for her whether it was god or coincidence she didn't know or care, but it brought her Harry back to her especially when she was about to change the course of history.

She understood now why they never got together the first time. She now knew how Harry was never really sure about what he felt for her, because of never having an idea of what 'love' really was. Harry only realized his feelings for her, when she and Ron had that fight during the Yule ball, when she and Ron started to fall for each other, Harry felt jealous and he realized what his feelings meant. After that for a brief period of time, he was the epitome of confusion, because of Cho Chang, Hermione Granger, his complicated life being twisted in politics and Ron's continued meddling. But by the time he got out of his confusion, he was afraid of revealing his feelings to Hermione and betraying Ron for the fear of losing their friendship. He waited for the next couple of years hoping that they both will eventually figure out that they weren't a good match. But apart from the moments of doubt in their relationship, they never came to point of them being mismatched and Harry was too noble to reveal it himself. Eventually during his time of patient waiting, Ginny played her devious game and Harry fell in love with the Weasley female forgetting his feelings for his best friend. Until he figured out the truth about Ginny's manipulation after the war and broke up with her. And when he did remember it again, he being his noble self decided to let Hermione be happy with Ron than to tell her how he felt, and also for the fear of being told that she loved someone else. Now after all the things that they went through, finally they were together and this time she would be damned if anything happens to this relationship.

Hermione was now truly happy about what happened and how it happened, for all the misery and anguish they both endured, they were rewarded with immense happiness. She told him everything about her feelings for him the last time and he told her of his, and they both shared their thoughts on why they never got together. Now there were no more misunderstanding between them and almost everything was cleared after their intimate heart-to-heart talk.

Presently the young lovers were sitting in a 'secured' compartment alone just enjoying each other's presence, while viewing the moving scenery. Sirius and Remus came to send him off, while Mr and Mrs. Granger came inside the barrier with the help of Madam Bones and Susan to send Hermione off. They were a little sad to see their beautiful daughter go away for another year. Sirius and Remus weren't there when the elder Grangers came to see their daughter off, in ordered to avoid meeting in public just in case if Dumbledore or Voldemort has anyone watching Harry. While Amelia and Emma became good friends, so Mrs. Granger kind of assumed how her friend Amy would act in public, as the stern head of the 'Department of Magical Law Enforcement'. So they didn't have much of a conversation, while Daniel being alone without Remus or Sirius in the vicinity didn't bother striking a conversation.

Meanwhile Harry was thinking back on the last few days of the vacation, since the day they came back from Brazil a lot of things happened. They both experimented many things in bed which included Hermione's secret fetishes, but still he insisted that they both take potions to keep their activities safe. They also went to Diagen Alley to shop for the upcoming year; Sirius took him to 'Twilfitt and Tattings' and bought him a tailored black dress robes made out of the softest and costliest material in the shop. After that they went to 'Harrods' and Sirius bought him designer shoes and other dress robes extras much to his vehement protests. During which Harry made sure to buy ink pens and notebooks for both him and Hermione to avoid buying quills and parchments.

Apart from that he also made Remus to look after his business development project, since Rotfang made good on his promise by sending him various ideas on opening other new businesses both inside and outside of Britain and in both the magical and mundane world. As this required the managing person to travel long distances every now and then and be comfortable in both the worlds, he appointed Remus to look after his development wing. And the pay for the post was quite good, so Remus was a little embarrassed to take the job, but agreed on condition that he'll only look after it until Harry finishes Hogwarts and that Harry will have to deal with the finances with Rotfang's assistance on a regular basis.

As an added bonus one morning Hermione made him take a potion that cured his eyesight problems completely and surprisingly the potion also enhanced his eyes giving him better vision at night. His girlfriend theorized it as the perfect mistake, the potion required his tears as an ingredient and he gave his tears before the blood adoption and that was before his eyesight partially got better. Hence when Hermione made the potion with his (old) tears it was tuned in a way to make his eyesight perfect and when he took it…, it sort of enhanced his vision at night.

"Harry, we both know that this year is gonna be rough on you, due to the Triwizard tournament and with Voldemort's resurrection, how are we gonna handle it again?" Hermione asked a little worriedly. She was finally happy with her relationship was going somewhere, but that also made it difficult for her to keep calm due to the impending threat that regarded her boyfriend's life.

"I don't care, my love. As long as you're with me, I have confidence that everything will be just fine." He replied with a small grin and gave a small peck on her lips and she smiled back at him.

Just as they finished, the door slid open and Neville walked in with Tracey and Daphne. "Hi Harry…, Hermione." Neville greeted and they greeted back.

"Hi, Neville…"

"Hello, Daphne, Tracey." Hermione greeted them all and he smiled as he told them to sit.

"Harry, Hermione…" Daphne spoke in her usual impassive tone. But secretly she was eyeing Harry, because the raven haired boy was now taller, more muscular and handsome while maintaining his lean physique.

"Harry…, thank you, thank you." Tracey greeted and gave him a hug which he didn't expect one bit.

"You're…welcome! But what was that for, Tracey?" He asked giving her a confused frown.

"Harry, all those wandlore materials that you wanted me to sell made my father a fortune. He said that he sold them all for quite a lot of money." Tracey informed him happily.

"Well since Trace here broke the news, I can tell you for sure that my father definitely made a lot of money from all the dark items. Because for the whole summer he left me alone and didn't care what I did and gave me money whenever I asked him without a second's hesitation, even when he was in a bad mood due to one of my parents' fights." Daphne told him the good news while he felt sorry for her life at home.

"My grandmother was impressed when I showed her the goblin made swords, but she questioned me, where I got it from and I had to tell her that you wanted to sell it, but I didn't mention anything about the chamber." Neville informed him and he in turn assured that he'll handle if Neville's grandmother asks him.

"Where's Luna?" He asked Neville curiously.

"She's selling Quibblers on the train, but not with much success. But I heard that she and her father went abroad during this vacation, where he sold all those eggs to some Dragon Camp for a lot of money." Neville replied casually.

Daphne checked the door for a moment to make sure that it was locked and then she turned to him and Hermione and began.

"Harry, Hermione, I've been meaning to ask you if my sister Astoria could join in with us during our study sessions." Daphne asked him for permission.

"Daphne, I've seen your sister and I'm sorry to say this, but your sister is kind of…" Harry hesitated to complete the sentence, but Daphne did it for him.

"Spoiled?" She asked him bluntly.

"Yes..." He replied frankly while he shrugged and gave a nod of agreement.

"She takes after my mother and that's what I'm trying to change. If I don't try now, then she'll end up marrying some old pureblood in an arranged marriage before she even graduates from school just like my parents expects us to. She needs a different role model in life and I think she'll find one if she joins in with us during our study sessions." Daphne reasoned with him and he thought for a while and answered.

"Okay, bring her but we'll have to be careful, because Draco and his goons may use her to gain information on what we do and why we do it. But.., don't worry…I may have a plan for it." He sensibly replied with a tiny grin and a nod of agreement.

Harry wanted to tell them a few important things, but he decided to wait for Luna to join them, so he started making light conversations with Neville about Quidditch and another few topics. Whereas Tracey initiated a conversation with Hermione that mostly revolved around Harry's sudden growth spurt and increased appeal, though Daphne was pretending to be detached from the world as usual, she was in actuality listening carefully in onto the conversation.

A few hours later Luna came in through the door and joined in with them. And after a few minutes of greetings later he began, "Since we're all here, I'd like to ask you all if you've kept up with your studies?"

"Not exactly, mate…but I've kept up practicing Occulumency." Neville replied a little reluctantly.

"No, Harry..." Daphne replied honestly.

"I tried to, but not with much success, Harry." Tracey replied casually.

"I studied, Harry." Luna spoke in her usual dreamy and cheery tone.

"Good."

Hermione looked at him and said, "You know we didn't study..." and he grinned at her.

"Okay, we didn't study either, because we were a little occupied with research." He told them all, but he didn't imply anything being rather blunt.

"We…?" Daphne questioned them giving a critical eye.

"Yes, I went to Hermione's house and we spent our time experimenting on defensive wards." He said trying to ease Daphne's curiosity.

"Wards…?"

"Yes wards..., Runology kind of piqued our interest and we decided to devote some time to it." He replied dispassionately.

Luna and Neville were still oblivious, but Tracey and Daphne were doubtful about if something was going on between Harry and Hermione. Meanwhile he used the opportunity to glance into their minds and check the strength of the Occulumency barriers. As their minds automatically fought back to protect itself even when they weren't really concentrating on defending their minds, he was confident enough that they can keep his secrets safe, so he began.

"All right, all kidding aside, I wanted to speak with you all about, Voldemort." He said building up his courage to tell them and with that he waved his right hand lazily once over the door and then he nonverbally and wandlessly secured their cart. The last word of his sentence earned him a few involuntary shivers from Tracey, Daphne and Neville.

"What do you know about, Quirinus Quirrell?" He asked and with that it began.

For the next thirty minutes he told them everything about Quirrell and how Voldemort used the man's body as a host for a while in order to live on. And he told them how he sensed Voldemort's presence living inside Quirrell and about the Nicholas Flamel's stone which was hidden in the castle and why Voldemort was after it. He also divulged to them of how he dealt with the man by trapping him in the third floor corridor and let Dumbledore handle the problem and about how Voldemort's soul must've escaped from Quirrell's body. After that he told them how he sensed Voldemort's rising presence this summer indicating that the man was indeed coming back to power.

By seeing the reaction of his friends he assumed that they were having a hard time believing this, "Take some time to absorb this." He assured them due to their obvious doubts.

"I'm sure you have so many questions, Harry will answer them all the next time we meet in the chamber." Hermione said trying to ease them, since this was a little too big for them to take in as whole, while guaranteeing them a questioning session. With that she handed out one Galleon to Tracey, Daphne, Neville and Luna each. And she instructed them how it'll get them inside the chamber and she also warned them to use it only when completely alone.

They all sat there silently for the next forty minutes until the train reached Hogsmeade station. They all silently walked out and proceeded towards the castle in carriages without a word between them.

"Harry, I'm in." Daphne told him all of a sudden breaking the silence while they were walking. Meanwhile he noticed that Tracey, Neville and Luna all looked unsure and he understood that they needed more time. Daphne and Tracey walked towards the Slytherin students and got on a carriage and proceeded towards the castle and they took a separate carriage.

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts-**_

The feast began as usual and when the feast ended, Dumbledore began his announcement. Halfway through the announcement Mad-Eye Moody arrived and Dumbledore introduced their new 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' Professor. After informing the students that Quidditch will be suspended for the entire year, there was uproar and when it subsided Dumbledore continued.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year." Dumbledore announced loudly which resulted in a big applause.

After that the century old headmaster continued on with the announcements about why and how the tournament was conducted and why it was discontinued. And then Dumbledore explained to them about how the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contenders will be arriving in October. And then the role of 'the Goblet of Fire' was described and how the champions' selection will take place. But when the age restriction of the contenders was revealed there was a complete pandemonium again mostly among the older students. Dumbledore silenced them all and instructed them to extend every courtesy to their foreign guests who will be joining them later. With that they were all dismissed to their respective dormitories.

Harry and Hermione entered the common room among many others and he subtly grazed his hands with her hand for a brief moment. He separated almost immediately and walked up the stairs to his dorm room.

He reached his dorm room and he instantly noticed something amiss. He saw Seamus, Dean and Neville sitting silently on their bed unpacking their respective things. He noticed that there was a sharp silence in the room and Ronald wasn't there with them and neither were his things.

"Lads, is there something wrong?" He asked them generally.

"You feel that too, don't you? The silence…it's a new feeling." Dean said to him with a bitter laugh.

"Our room has never been this silent before…, usually I would've loved this under normal circumstances, but today's the first night at school and it's kind of feels different without Ron." Seamus continued somberly.

"What happened to Ron?" He asked the obvious question.

"You don't know? I thought you knew, mate?" Dean asked back at him obviously shocked by his question.

"Harry, Ron didn't pass last year's exams. McGonagall is making him repeat the entire year again. And apparently McGonagall thought it would be wise that he spent his time with his classmates than with us, so he will be staying with the third years from now on." Neville explained it to him.

He understood their dilemma; to his three other roommates Ronald was a good friend, while to him Ron was merely a pest. He had enough reason to ruthlessly kill the Weasley and not feel guilty about it. But still he didn't blame any of Ron's future actions on this current Ron, so understandably he didn't feel any pity regarding Ron's problems and he strangely felt satisfied by the redhead's current situation.

"You must be enjoying this…" Seamus spoke aiming towards him.

"That's not necessarily true. I had no quarrel with Ronald; he was the one who couldn't tolerate my presence. I just want to be normal and do my work silently without bothering anyone." He reasoned with his roommates, since they were sharing the room he had no intention of arguing with them.

Dean and Neville agreed with him, as Harry has never bothered them with anything and always helped them when necessary. As for Seamus, he wasn't so understanding, but he too was smart enough to know that it wasn't Harry's fault, but for Ron's insecurity and jealousy that caused the drift between the two. Therefore all three had no problems with Harry and besides that the room will be a little more peaceful at night without Ron's snoring.

They all unpacked their things and when they were about to settle down for bed, Dean proposed a game of 'Exploding Snap' and all three insisted that he joined with them. And so he did and they played until it was very late and finally they all went to sleep.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore's Study (That Night)-**_

Albus Dumbledore was carefully browsing through the collection of books that he has collected over the years to find a solution for his current problem. Two days ago he noticed that the blood-based tracking device that he had once created in order to keep track of Harry Potter has stopped working completely. It was usual for it to malfunction temporarily every now and then, since the device itself was created many years ago, but it has never ceased to function altogether, until now.

He was at a loss, because whenever anything he does that regards Harry Potter, it always seems to cause him a problem. During this summer he had an epiphany and he came to a realization a while ago and he found it rather strange and most peculiar. Most of his problems only started happening especially after the boy started his studies in Hogwarts.

He was broken out of his multiple thoughts when the door opened and his most important asset entered. "Albus, we have a problem." Snape spoke without bothering with any pleasantries.

"Why…, what is it, Severus?" Dumbledore didn't turn to face the Potioneer, but asked seriously understanding the severity of the said problem, if the Potioneer was worried.

"The Dark Lord is planning something…something big and I'm sure that would definitely earn him back his powers. He didn't include me in his plan. I'm assuming that it was not because he didn't trust me, but fearing for my proximity with you. I'm also sure that it has something to do with the 'Triwizard Tournament' and he has inserted someone he trusts into the castle to keep an eye on Potter." Snape informed Dumbledore about his doubts on what is about to transpire.

"So you have made sure that Tom is indeed intent on…, Harry?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.

"Yes..." Snape nodded impassively and replied sternly.

"Good…good, so the situation assures me that Tom is still in my trap." Dumbledore smiled briefly and his eyes twinkled slightly.

"What about you, Severus? What of your standing under the Dark Lord's eyes?" Dumbledore questioned seriously.

"Right now, I've a better standing among his followers than I had before." The hook-nosed Potioneer replied carefully.

"Are you certain?" The century old wizard asked for confirmation.

"I am…, and he has promised me that I would be rewarded greatly when this is over." Snape said almost proud of himself.

Dumbledore turned and gave the Potioneer a scrutinizing look, "Why is that?"

"I helped him locate his original wand. I gave him a detailed report about the people who visited Godric's Hollow that night. With that piece of information Crouch .Jr retrieved the Dark Lord's wand from Pettigrew's house. And that act acted as a verification of my information and it earned me the Dark Lord's trust." Snape replied certainly.

"Crouch .Jr, you say?" Dumbledore asked surprised by the development.

"Trust me Albus, I don't know how he is still alive, but he is active, mobile and he is serving the Dark Lord." Snape informed offhandedly.

"Could Crouch be the man inserted into the castle?" Dumbledore asked logically considering the man a threat, because Crouch .Jr was a very talented man in his own right.

"Maybe…, but honestly I don't think so…" Snape contributed his thoughts.

"Why not?" Albus asked curiously.

"The Dark Lord's current physical condition needs constant supervision and assistance, hence Crouch departing to do a long-term work his highly illogical." Snape reasoned with the devious headmaster.

"Who else is currently in contact with Tom?" Dumbledore asked the Potioneer giving him a questioning gaze.

"I'm sure that the Dark Lord is using two others' help, but I don't know who they are…" Snape replied in a designed manner.

"What of Tom's location?" Albus asked interestedly.

"The Dark Lord dwelled in the Riddle Mansion during the summer, but he has moved now that I'm sure of! But to where…I do not know." The Potioneer was now slightly annoyed by the questions.

"I don't think the Dark Lord trusts you yet, Severus." Dumbledore replied giving an obvious look.

"The Dark Lord never trusts anyone completely Albus, only a part of it can be earned and I'm sure that I've earned my part." Snape pointed out his reason.

"A diplomatic answer…, spoken like a skilled gambit." Dumbledore pointed out his own reason.

Snape flinched visibly shaken by Dumbledore's statement, meanwhile the headmaster just turned and smiled at the Potioneer in a reassuring but mocking manner. "Off you go! And keep me informed, Severus." Dumbledore spoke impassively.

But before the Potioneer left he asked, "What of Potter?"

Dumbledore turned towards his books looking away from Snape and answered, "I think I know why I can't control the boy."

"Why is that?"

"For now it's just a mild suspicion from my part. But with the information at hand, I can only come to this one conclusion. Somehow Harry is anticipating my every move beforehand and is actively countering me, while keeping his involvement under wraps, because everything is too clean and almost unassuming to be true. I know that is highly unlikely, but that's why my suspicion is mild." Dumbledore replied casually worrying the Potioneer.

"But that's impossible; Potter's just a…boy." Snape replied sarcastically obviously not believing Dumbledore's suspicion.

"A boy he is…yes. But he is a boy with a genius level intellect and almost infinite resources at his disposal." The Headmaster gave a calculated answer.

"So where does that put us?" Snape asked thoughtfully but almost as if not wanting to ask.

"Manipulating Harry is no longer an option. Guiding him maybe the only way, since the prophecy itself is very clear. Harry…, is my trap and it is imperative that Tom is focused on the boy." Dumbledore both questioned and answered it himself.

With that the Potioneer had no more questions to ask; hence he walked out with a stern nod, leaving the devious Headmaster to muse on his own thoughts.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

The Great Hall was filled with students and it was bustling with noise and activity Harry, Hermione and Neville were sitting in the Great Hall having breakfast. Neville and he were having a friendly argument about the attack that happened during the Quidditch World Cup.

"That's irrelevant, Neville. If a motivated group of people who are set on hurting people then they would do just that in any way possible. No amount of security could contain the damage they may cause." He reasoned supporting the DMLE.

"But isn't it the duty of the DMLE to anticipate attacks like these?" Neville pointed out the inefficacy of the department.

"It is…, but the attack itself was unprecedented and nobody would've expected an attack on such a public setting would they? And it's also self-explanatory…the event itself points out what type of people they are if they were brave enough to project such violence on a public occasion like that." He countered softly with a smile which was almost casual.

"You got me there, mate." Neville agreed and they both chuckled lightly.

Outwardly Harry was speaking and enjoying a conversation with Neville, but inwardly he was blown of his mind by Ron's hatred/stupidity. He was reading the redhead's mind and he was surprised by the feeling he felt, apparently Ron felt jealousy, hatred and disgust towards him, all because he got everything Ron wanted and craved for. Ron wanted his fame, money and now his looks and physique, and most importantly what pissed him off was Ron's thought of how Hermione was his 'sex object for practice'. Viewing all those thoughts gave him enough reason to not feel an ounce of pity or regret for the Weasley and he genuinely wished that the Weasley would suffer even more.

At the very same moment, Hermione was getting both irritated and enraged, because she was noticing quite a few _'supposedly'_ discreet glances that girls from all houses and ages were directing at her secret/'kind of obvious' boyfriend. And Ginerva Molly Weasley's totally open seductive and sultry look, which she was pointing at her boyfriend wasn't helping her one bit. If she wasn't mentally older and mature enough to know that Harry wouldn't fancy about having such attention from the opposite sex, then she would've definitely lost her temper. And also because of the fact that she was in a very good mood, as she learned about Ron's misfortune of repeating another year again, a little while ago from Harry. She felt very happy when she heard the good news, as she always knew that if it wasn't for her and Harry's help, Ron would've never finished school last time around.

Seeing all those so-called discreet glances, she just wanted to snog her handsome raven haired boyfriend in front of everyone to let them know that he belonged to her. But she wasn't planning to let them know about their relationship just yet, because she really wanted to see and enjoy the looks on their faces, when they all learn the fact that they both were an item all along. Besides Harry wasn't even aware that he was attracting the attention of a lot of girls and causing jealousy among a lot of boys, since he was facing away from the Ravenclaw table and towards their table's other side in front of the room's side wall. Since she was sitting across Harry, she could see all those lustful looks which were directed at Harry and all the hateful looks at her from the female population.

"Hermione, are you alright? You look distracted." He said looking at her suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm finished! Can we go to class?" His girlfriend asked him outwardly, while she was speaking with him telepathically.

" _You're attracting a lot of attention, Mr. Potter."_ She said amusedly.

" _I am…? From who…, apart from Ronald?"_ He asked back curiously.

" _Mind your surroundings honey. Apparently and quite obviously, I wasn't the only one who loves your present sexy look."_ She replied bluntly.

" _Fair enough!"_ He replied casually and he gave her a deadpanned look, as he spoke, "Okay, let's go."

"I'll see you in class, mate." He said to Neville who wasn't finished yet and the Longbottom boy gave a nod.

"And by the way what class is it for us first?" He asked his secret girlfriend casually.

He stood up from his seat picking up his bag and Hermione followed behind him and spoke, "First we have Herbology, next Care of Magical Creatures and finally we have Double Arithmancy." With that they both exited the great hall together while talking between themselves and it turned a few heads.

Most girls were now interested in Harry, since the small unassuming boy was turning into a heartthrob and they jealous of Hermione's friendship with him. Boys who all noticed the girls who kept glancing at the Gryffindor's most important asset were immediately jealous of the said boy. Little did our time travelling hero and heroine know how this was going to affect their lives?

* * *

 _ **Sorry, for the short chapter people. My heartless professor is making me work extra hard to make me catch up with my teammates, who are all complete arse' by the way.**_

 _ **Okay, let me get this straight. I always thought that the Dursleys got away with what they did to Harry too darn easily. And that's why Harry reacted like how he did and it's kind of reasonable. And since I portrayed Dumbledore to be so expendable, hence he catching upto Harry is necessary.**_

 _ **And for the last time, I'm not gonna add any other female characters into Harry/Hermione pairing. And from this chapter onwards Harry/Hermione pairing is complete, a perfect yin and yang. But I still expect suggestions from you about pairings for Daphne and Susan. And this chapter is kind of an intro for the fourth year, so you can expect surprises from next chapters onwards. And i promised you Weasley bashing, but I actually meant it as the fate's way of saying 'piss off' to Ron.**_

 _ **And finally I thank you all for reading my story, Reviews and Critics are appreciated.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I've read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. There will be exaggeration but not over-exaggeration and apart from that there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **D.A.D.A Class-**_

Harry was sitting beside Neville waiting for Moody/Barty to arrive and for the classes to begin. He heard about Rita Skeeter's article about the attack in Moody's house, so he used the Marauder's map two nights ago and confirmed that Moody was indeed abducted by Crouch Jr and that the death eater was impersonating the professor. He had to make sure that Voldemort's plans were actually in motion and that it involved him. Hermione was seated on the bench in front of him and they both knew what they were going to experience in the upcoming class, but they were sure that it would hardly bother them.

Moody entered the classroom and went to the board and started writing his name with a piece of chalk; "Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror...Ministry malcontent...and your new 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story…, good-bye…the end. Any questions?"

Since none raised their hands the gruff looking man continued, "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, who can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

This time Hermione didn't open her mouth to answer, no matter how many times she has seen the curses in action she was sure that she'll never be comfortable witnessing or using it.

Seeing Malfoy's hand raised Moody barked at the blonde haired ferret, "Malfoy, give me an answer."

"Three…unforgivable curses sir…" Malfoy almost sounded shy to answer and that came as a surprise to the class.

"Name one." Moody ordered and Malfoy sneered slightly at the professor's tone.

"The Cruciatus Curse…" Malfoy stated and Moody nodded.

"Correct, come let us see." Moody led Malfoy to his desk and took a spider and started his demonstration of the torture curse.

"Crucio…" The enlarged spider wailed and screeched in obvious pain under the effects of the torture curse, which he honestly found rather terrifying. Meanwhile he noticed the look of horror on Neville's face, but he didn't want to say anything, because his friend needed to understand the pain and accept it to move forward in life and become powerful. Crueller as it may sound, it was necessary for Neville to face the truth than to run away from his haunting past, so he silenced Hermione before she voiced her thoughts by conversing with her telepathically.

"Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year...How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? ...You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful." Moody began hurriedly, but slowed down at the end.

"Give me another one." The one-eyed ex-auror barked out loud. And among the several raised hands Moody chose Seamus.

"The Imperius Curse, sir." Seamus said confidently.

"Oh yes, yes, a nasty curse at that…perhaps this will prove you why?" Moody commented and Imperio-ed the large spider and flew it across the room and placed it on many students having fun.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding...under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: How do we sort out the liars?" Moody said in a deadly serious tone while giving a look towards Malfoy and that completely silenced the entire room.

And finally Moody/Barty placed the spider on his desk straight in front of him and said, "Perchance could you give me the last curse?"

"The Killing Curse. Avada Kedavra." He replied impassively while he gave a blank stare aiming towards the professor.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " In a green flash the spider was dead while he kept staring at the dead spider.

"The Killing Curse, it's silent… it causes instant death…and doesn't leave a mark. Only one person in the entire world is known to have survived this curse...and he's sitting right here." Moody spoke while he moved Harry's hair with his wand revealing the famous Z shaped scar.

The whole class kept staring at Harry who didn't even flinch when the curse was cast and kept staring at the dead spider. Meanwhile Harry was lost in his memories, as he was taking a trip down the memory lane. The green flash of the Killing Curse triggered the memories of his every single kill up till now. He knew that he was a monster that parents told their children about as bedtime stories, but he considered himself the necessary evil to keep the balance of power. Hence he forcibly redirected his mind back to the class putting all those destructive thoughts at rest for now.

* * *

 _ **Study Session-**_

The D.A.D.A class was over and he walked out of the classroom casually while chatting with Neville and Hermione. On the inside Harry was hiding his secrets and was burying it back into the depths of his heart.

"Harry, are you sure that you are alright?" Hermione asked concerned about Harry's lack of reaction concerning that he just witnessed the 'Killing Curse' from close proximity.

"I'm fine." He replied dispassionately.

"What about you, Neville?" Hermione inquired her friend.

"I'm fine, Hermione." Neville gave an appreciative smile.

It was Thursday, so after the last two hours of D.A.D.A class they had no more classes. As they were free, he told Hermione to signal their friends to join them in the study session. Meanwhile the Galleons which Tracey, Daphne, Luna and Neville all held vibrated for a brief moment and then they heard a voice inside their heads.

" _Study session begins in ten minutes. Rendezvous at third floor room no. 7b."_ Hermione's voice echoed in their mind and they all proceeded to the meeting point.

They all met in the assigned room and were waiting for Daphne to join them and he had a guess for why she was late. Daphne opened the door and with her stood a small raven haired girl who had Daphne's facial resemblance. But unlike Daphne who was curvier and feminine, her sister was very slim and short like a malnourished child.

"Hey, this is my sister Astoria." Daphne introduced her sister.

"Hi, Astoria…" They all greeted the newcomer.

"Astoria, these are my friends Luna, Neville, Hermione, Harry and you know Tracey." Daphne said to her sister, but was cut off.

"You're friends with them? Two squibs and two bookworms, this is a joke isn't it?" Astoria questioned back angrily.

Before Daphne could lash out at the younger girl he intervened, "Welcome to the study group."

"So Astoria, what subjects do you like?" He walked closer to her and led her to the newly setup potion lab.

Hermione wasn't surprised by her boyfriend's calm recovery, while Neville looked annoyed and Tracey looked sympathetically at Daphne seeing Astoria's reaction. Luna was dreamily looking out through the window without caring about what was happening around her, and Daphne was furious with her sister's attitude.

Astoria didn't answer Harry's question and instead just stared at him distrustfully. Astoria was merely tolerating the older boy's presence, just because Harry Potter was famous. She had no interest being in a study group, which would obviously rob her of her social time and spend it with the most anti-social celebrity of the school.

"Listen Potter, I've no intention of being here, so just say to my sister that 'this wasn't a good idea' and let me go." Astoria spoke coldly almost as if she was ordering him to do it.

Before Harry could answer, Daphne walked closer and caught hold of her sister's arm tightly and snapped, "I've had enough of you. If you don't mind your language from now on…"

Before Daphne could finish berating her sister he interrupted her, "Daphne calm down. She's just a child who's set in her way. You do know that you're asking her to give up her free time with her friends, so that she spend it studying with us right? It's normal or her to rebel; I'd be pretty worried if she didn't fight back." Astoria struggled out of her sister's grip when Daphne was distracted by Harry's reasoning.

He knelt down to the clearly dumbstruck and surprised girl and he said, "It is okay Astoria, you can go back to what you were doing. But just one thing…" Just as he made her curious he raised his right hand and he half curled his pointer finger and gave a light knock to her right temple.

Just as he gave her the 'knock', the young raven haired preteen's eyes rolled and she fell down backwards on the floor unconscious. Daphne ran towards her unconscious younger sister and cradled her head in shock of what he did. Neville, Luna, Tracey and Hermione all gathered around to see what he did.

"Harry, what did you do to her?" Daphne asked both angrily and curiously.

"I just erased a few of her memories, nothing too extensive trust me. Don't worry she'll get them back eventually." He reassured the blond haired witch.

"Harry.., what _did_ you do?" Neville asked now really interested in what he saw.

"Oh that… I call it the 'knock'; I invented it about a year ago, when I was practicing 'Delayed Memory Charms'. I thought of doing it wandlessly and learned that it was easier to cast it, if you have physical contact with the target and pressure points were perfect for such manipulations." He explained it briefly without going into a lecture.

"How can you do wandless magic so easily? Apart from the stints of magic like closing the door and moving the chair, what else can you do?" Tracey asked him excitedly trying to learn of his powers.

"I'll answer your question with another question, 'why do you need wands to practice magic?'." He asked everyone in general.

"Witches and Wizards use wands as a tool which amplifies one's magic, so that it can be easily projected outside." Hermione answered even though knowing that wasn't the answer his boyfriend wanted.

"You misunderstood my question. Why do you need a wand to _practice magic_? And I don't mean casting spells, but practicing magic. Magic comes from within us, we're the magical beings here not the wands, as Hermione said they're merely tools for us to perform better magic." He clarified his question and answered them together.

And then there was silence, because every one of his friends and his girlfriend were in deep thought thinking of what he said, apart from Astoria of course who was still unconscious, who he was sure that would be out for quite a while.

"Daphne, your sister's gonna be asleep for a few hours at least, I think she will be up by dinner, so relax." He told the obviously concerned elder sibling.

"Harry, I thought you had a plan to handle my sister?" Daphne asked annoyed by Harry's treatment of his sister.

"Of course I do!" He pointed to the prone form of Astoria with a nod of his head and continued, "And trust me when I say this, the plan _is_ in motion. Be patient and watch how this turns out."

"So what potion are we going to practice today?" Hermione asked excited to study as usual.

"Potions…hmm... People one second thought, today we're not going to practice 'potion making' as planned, instead you'll be learning the first step to wandless magic." He announced it to everyone and they all looked at him curiously.

"How Harry?" Hermione asked as she was truly excited about learning wandless magic more than learning potions. She for one didn't have much knowledge about wandless magic or how to perform it either, so this was an opportunity that she could not let go.

"Pick a small stationary object and try to move it without touching them, use you magic without using wands. A hint first try to feel the magic inside of you before you try." He spoke with a proud smile.

"How can we do that? You know that's impossible, mate." Neville looked at him like he was insane to even suggest it.

"Nothing is impossible Neville, and if you want to know…, then I can show you. You do it like this…" He spoke and merely glanced at the fireplace and it caught itself on fire.

"Any questions?" He asked to his stunned group of friends, which included his girlfriend who looked like Christmas had come early.

* * *

 _ **September 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **–**_

Hermione Granger was extremely irritated and angry, because Harry Potter was missing. Today was her fifteenth birthday and he was missing for the entire day. For the first time in three years Harry skipped an entire day of class altogether, and what bothered her was the fact that he did it on her birthday. It wasn't as if she didn't get his present, she got a 'time-turner' from Harry, a bracelet made of chilli peppers from Luna, a brand new chess set from Neville and a beautiful dress robe from her parents for the Yule ball.

She wasn't surprised by the dress, because Sirius was telling her father about how a prestigious event which was going to happen in school this year and indicated why the dress robe was mentioned in the list of necessaries. But still Harry's time-turner truly surprised her, for a 'time-turner' was a carefully and constantly monitored item. She wasn't surprised by Daphne's and Tracey's idleness, since she was sure that they both didn't have a clue that it was her birthday today.

They were all making progress with Harry's lessons on wandless magic. Harry was a very effective teacher, he didn't just spoon-feed someone; he expect them to have the proper understanding of the subject. Hence he taught them by making them develop the required techniques on their own and then he polishes the techniques by giving them valuable tips. But recently she noticed Harry being more secluded and removed from daily life. Ever since Barty Crouch Jr.'s first class, Harry became even more silent and restless, as if he was in a constant state of thought.

Just as her Double Arithmancy class ended she went straight to the seventh floor. She wished for the room and when the door appeared, she pushed open the huge door and walked inside. The sight she saw baffled her, Harry was sitting on a chair and was doing something on his pair of glasses with his wand. Now she was confused to the core, because of what Harry was doing with his glasses she wondered curiously, since he no longer needed to wear his glasses as his eyesight was both corrected and improved.

"Hey birthday girl, are you gonna just stand there or are you gonna come here and give your boyfriend a kiss?" He asked not looking at her directly apart from the discreet glance.

"Harry, where were you?" Hermione snapped out of her thought and almost yelled at him irritably.

"Getting a proper present for the birthday girl…" He replied casually while hiding his grin.

Harry's response calmed her down and she was more curious than before and was dying to know what gift he got for her birthday. "Harry…, what did you get for me?" She asked a little embarrassed about asking him what his gift was.

He in return simply pushed a black jewellery box and she anxiously opened it and found a beautiful Diamond studded platinum necklace and a matching set of earrings. Just seeing them was enough to drive her to tears, as this was the most costly of gifts she ever got. This must have cost Harry a small fortune and to think that he did it for her, she had no words to describe it.

"Harry, you didn't have to buy this for me…" She dragged as she was having difficulty to speak.

"This is your first birthday after we got together, Mione. You deserve something better than just a 'time turner'." Harry said looking at her calmly. But from the way he spoke his sentence she felt like he really meant it in a way like, 'you deserve someone better than me'.

She closed the jewellery box and sat down opposite to him with an almost sad sigh, "It's not fair."

Hermione's statement surprised him and he asked perplexedly, "What's not fair, Mione?"

"You outdid yourself again by buying me this…, obviously spending a fortune on it. But now I feel bad because I couldn't buy you anything worthwhile for your birthday." She spoke in a disappointed tone. He slowly got up from his seat and walked behind her and started massaging her shoulder lightly which made her relax a little.

"You feel awkward about it, but the fact is that you shouldn't, you got me a top o the line camera and that's more than enough." He replied dismissively.

"It's not enough…" She replied back strongly, for a moment moving away from his arms, but eventually letting him massage her again.

"I had ten years in my hand to tell you how I felt and rescue you from an abusive marriage, but instead I let you suffer in the hands of Ron just because I was afraid to confront you again. Mione, your sadness and guilt is nothing compared to the discontent and pain that I felt, when I saw you bruised and abused in your home, on that day. The knowledge of how I could have done something to help you weighs heavily on me till today. You deserve better Hermione, I'm not saying this because I'm your boyfriend; I'm saying this because it's the truth." He reassured her as he kept massaging her shoulders.

"Harry…honey, you can't think like that. We talked about this, there were other reasons for why we couldn't be together and each of us had problems that couldn't even be qualified as normal." She stood up from her chair and cupped both of his cheeks with her palms and continued, "Harry, we can't keep living in the past, we have to move on. You deserve just as much as I do, probably even more. Do you know why? Because unlike me, you didn't have a proper upbringing or a healthy childhood, you suffered from the day you lost your parents to the day we came back in time. At least I suffered at an age where I was both physically and mentally capable enough to endure the pain."

"It's not my past or my woes that I'm worried about, Mione. Past is just a nightmare that I buried a long time ago, it's the future that terrifies me. How will I do it again Hermione, the things that I did last time?" He wondered out loud with a sad frown.

"Do what, Harry? What did you do last time?" She asked seriously and doubtfully.

"That's not necessary. What's important is that you're right. I should stop worrying myself with these depressing things." He carefully redirected the actual question, but Hermione wasn't the brightest witch of her age for nothing.

"Honey, stop changing the topic and answer me honestly. What did you do last time?" She asked sternly but tenderly.

There was long silence as he started pacing around the room and finally he spoke, "Last time, I did a lot of things that I am neither fond of nor proud of…"

"If you're talking about the addiction, then you know that you can avoid it this time right?" She asked him sternly but in an unsure tone which meant that she obviously guessed it wrong.

He shook his head while giving a dry laugh, "Do you know the term that they usually use to refer _me_ in the ministry?" He asked still trying to recover from his fit of giggles.

"The Deranged Hunter…" She guessed correctly but was uncomfortable with the name.

"Yes…, and it wasn't without a good reason, that they gave me that name." He hesitated to continue for a brief moment, but continued nonetheless after a pause.

"You hunted former death eaters who were on the run. Harry that's nothing to be ashamed of..." Hermione pointed out to him.

"There's nothing wrong in doing your job effectively when you're not emotionally attached to it, but it's wrong to like doing what I did. How many times have you used a 'Killing curse' on someone intentionally, Hermione?" He asked her the question sounding like he already knew the answer.

"You know I have never used the 'Killing curse', Harry. Any spell used with the wrong intent can kill…, 'Killing curse' is unnecessary to take a life." She gave a diplomatic answer.

"A 'killing curse' is quick clean and almost painless, it's much less messier and easier way. And that's what worries me, my job required a certain level of conviction and it scares me. Last time I was fine with it as I thought I had nothing to lose, but the thought of doing it again frightens me. With the information that I now possess, it would be a crime if I don't act accordingly to it, and trust me when I say this, the information itself is petrifying or more precisely it can be referred to as the most brutal truths of the underworld." He confided in with her.

"Harry, we have seen and experienced things more than what most people see in a lifetime, it couldn't have been that bad." She hinted back hesitantly hoping for him to agree.

He chuckled lightly and asked out of breath, "Do you remember the accident that killed the Malfoys?"

"Yes, the accidental fire that burned down their manor, they all died in their sleep." She answered back swiftly now curious to where Harry was going with the information.

"It was no accident; it was a perfectly planned murder…" He corrected her statement.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked him as if she was afraid to ask the question.

"Because I was the one who killed them and made it _look_ like an accident." He replied honestly not wanting to hide it from her.

She was both flabbergasted and horrified by his revelation, "Why Harry?" she begged him desperately.

"Why…? I'll tell you why. It was a bleak winter year in Russia and I was hunting after a cold trail left by Adrian Silverfox... Do you recognize the name?" He asked her earnestly.

"The illegal potions maker and supplier for the death eaters…" She nodded and replied fluently.

"Canadian born wizard, was a transfer student to Hogwarts and that's how he came to the Britain. He became a death eater during the second war and he supplied them with bulks of potions and potion-making materials during that time. After the war he fled the country and went to China, on the way he killed quite a handful of our hit-wizards and left no evidence to link him back to his crimes. I took the cold case and Adrian having left no evidence led me to call in a favour from a friend who worked in the 'FSB', using his help I got a video recording via a 'Russian forestry satellite', eventually I found who he was and I traced him to China. Do you know what he was doing when I found him?" He asked her and she shook her head negatively.

"He was the commanding head of a Chinese gang of thugs whose whole purpose was to kidnap girls from the age of sixteen to twenty-one. He kept those girls for a long period of time and he mentally broke them using 'sensory deprivation' and eventually some mind-based magic when their wills break, and after trafficking them to different countries, he sold them to the highest bidder as slaves. I killed every single one of those thugs and interrogated him via Veritaserum only to find out that he was funded by the Malfoys and a few others. And apparently there were six other local gangs of thugs in other countries led by six other former death eaters for this sole purpose, once I had the necessary information I killed him too. Because I knew that if I had handed him over to the ministry like I was supposed to, then he would have been released before I even exit the building." He finished his reason with a heavy sigh.

"Malfoys had to be eliminated and so were the other gangs and the other funding parties, so I murdered them all, one group at a time. Narcissa and Draco's second wife Aurelia were the people who were looking after the finances, while Lucius used his influence to keep the Ministry in the dark. Lucius did his work well, he hid his fund details from the ministry's newly implemented money monitoring scheme, specifically implemented after the war to reduce organized crime. Draco wasn't exactly guilty, but he wasn't innocent either since he knew about their illegal funding and did nothing to stop it, so he was just collateral damage." He finished his story leaving Hermione gaping at him.

"Now do you believe me? I have used the 'killing curse' on men, women and children just so that their deaths would be painless. And I've used it with the 'intent to kill' even without a second's hesitation and I've learned to like maybe even enjoy it, what does that make me?" He asked in a resigned manner.

He slumped on his chair out of breath being mentally exhausted. She stood up and went beside him and hugged his head with both her arms and pulled his face closer on her stomach and she soothingly rubbed circles into his hair. She stood there embracing his seated form until his breathing reduced to a more sedated pace.

"Honey…, you're feeling sadness and guilt over what you did and that's what makes you human." She replied and her voice broke and tears started falling from her eyes. He didn't cry out loud, but she could literally feel the guilt echoing inside him.

"I can't bear it anymore, Hermione. The faces of several hundred people looming over my mind over and over and over again, I can't bear it anymore. Crouch's killing curse reminded me, Mione, it triggered the memories I suppressed and it reminded me of the monster I am or I used to be." He hugged onto her waist even more tightly.

She has killed before, during the 'Battle of Hogwarts' she killed a few death eaters and it took her a very long time get over it, that's why she waited a little to get married. She would never be able to comprehend the emotions that her boyfriend was feeling right now. Honestly she was terrified by Harry's revelation, to kill hundreds of people without even batting an eyelid and not to feel anything about it later. She wondered about what must have tipped Harry in the wrong direction.

"YOU ARE NOT A MONSTER…" She asserted that point forcefully.

"How can you tell? Even now I don't feel regret over the things that I did, I just feel empty…as if my soul has died." He mumbled into her stomach as he kept holding her tightly.

"It didn't bother me until now, because I had dual personalities that I specifically donned for myself when I was in the field. I was indifferent about a situation when there was no obvious need for violence, and I was ruthless if the situation called for it. I've never felt being this mentally weak before, Hermione." She separated from the embrace and she kissed him deeply until he calmed down to the point of being sedate.

His mind felt clearer than ever like a burden being released, she slowly guided him to the couch on the side of the room. And they both occupied it simultaneously, he lay on the couch and she lied on top of him keeping her head on his moving chest. For the next hour they both just got used to each other's presence taking notes of each other's intimate details, like smell, warmth and the smallest of gestures.

"Something feels afoot, I've never felt this emotional before, for the reason that I 'kind of' came to terms with my opted occupation a long time ago. But when I thought about doing it all over again I panicked almost instinctively and I find that very strange, and I intend to find out why?" He said to her as she kept watching him as they both lay there together.

"Don't worry, we will find out together." She caught hold of his palm reassuringly. They both lay there taking comfort from each other's presence while coming to terms with the brutal revelation that Harry just revealed.

* * *

 _ **Kitchen-**_

Harry and Hermione both were sitting in the kitchen and the elves were serving them food. After their unburdening conversation they both had no interest in spending the dinner in the great hall under the constant stare of different people. Hermione was calm and cool, since she saw no use in being on the edge and it was clear that it won't help her boyfriend. While Harry was in state of being half-restless and half-relaxed, but his mind was still a little overactive.

After Hermione secured the place, so that they could talk freely without the fear of being overheard so she asked teasingly, "Harry, why didn't you curse or hex Ronald, when you found me in my home that day?"

He immediately caught hold of both her hands together in his hands and he began evidently alarmed by her question, "Mione, if I had known about the abuse, then I would have done something a long time ago. When I came that day, I was fully convinced and mentally prepared to forgive Ronald for his previous actions and make amends with him, just so I can see you again. Before that I was set on trying to forget you; hence I didn't want to know about anything that even remotely regarded the Weasleys or you. I failed in my task, because I couldn't forget you but still I was blind about the Weasley's doing. I'm truly sorry."

She chuckled out loud, "It's nothing Harry really; I was just teasing with you…" She reassured him and he let out a sigh of relief.

They began their dinner which consisted of roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy for him and Shepherd's pie for Hermione. "So what were you doing with the glasses anyway?" She asked as she took a scoop from his dish and started eating the mashed potatoes.

"Well I don't have to wear it anymore since my eyesight has improved phenomenally, but it kind of feels uneasy to not having to wear it. I have this strange thing about how the glasses make me look more like my father; it makes me feel closer to him. Hence I have come up with a plan, I switched out the power lenses and fixed in the plane glass lens into the rectangular frame. I researched into the existence of magical auras creating disruptions in the air due to any magical being's magical discharge…, so I tried bewitching the glass so that I can see the auras in the air and around a person via the use of these specs. I tried it a few times and it needs to be a little more precise on the calibration and more fine-tuning…" He explained his idea and showed his prototype specs.

"Can I try?" She asked and he nodded and handed her the specs.

"Be my guest." She took the glasses and wore it and took a look at him and she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Seeing her confused look he said, "You need to channel your magic first to trigger the glass's bewitchment to become active, and do the same to deactivate it." She did as told and observed him and she found various colours mixed in like a rainbow all around him, but not like two colours mixing into form a third colour, they were still separate.

She then looked at the elves around her and she saw various colours but predominantly every single one of the elves had the colour light blue around them. "Harry, what does the light blue colour mean?" She asked him curiously.

"Happiness and content..." He replied amusedly as she was giving the elves a scrutinizing look.

"I will have to look into the topic myself to get a better perspective on what kind of senseless thing you are trying to achieve here." She jokingly criticised him and giggled at his appalled look.

"If you put it like that, it looks ill-advised. But nonetheless I have a very good reason for this… You may not remember, but I have a good memory about this particular incident, last time in our second year after you were petrified by the basilisk, I and Ron went to confront Hagrid about the news of him being the heir. At that same time, Lucius Malfoy brought Minister Fudge to arrest Hagrid when we were in the house and Dumbledore was there too, he was able to see us hiding behind the invisibility cloak, even when none of the others did. I have always wondered how the old coot did it, but I never really had the interest to look into it during our school years and afterwards when I was interested I just didn't have time. Imagine none will be able to sneak up on us" He explained his reason for why he was interested in this idea.

"So you want to look like Dumbledore?" She asked barely trying to hide his sarcastic smile.

'No', he mouthed to her and mimicked a hurt and appalled look to which she giggled.

They finished their dinner and were getting up to go to the dormitories. Just as Hermione was going to pull open the door of the kitchen, Harry wandlessly disillusioned them both and pulled her from the door via her arm and gave her a long passionate kiss and when they broke due to the lack of air he said out of breath, "Happy Birthday, birthday girl."

And they both walked out of the kitchen and headed to the Gryffindor dormitories to retire for the day.

* * *

 _ **Study Session-**_

It was the last week of September and the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contingent will be arriving in a couple of days. Announcements were given of how the classes will be finished early on 30th due to the arrival of the delegations from the other schools.

Meanwhile it was mid-afternoon and they had no more classes, the last few sessions consisted of potion-making and duelling where Harry taught them advanced and effective techniques accordingly. Now the group was doing their least enjoyed exercise 'wandless magic training'. Everyone with the exception of Hermione and Luna were annoyed due to the lack of progress they were making.

"I can't do this anymore, mate. We aren't making any progress whatsoever… Maybe wandless magic is only for strong wizards." Neville stood up from his Zen position not wanting to meditate anymore.

"Neville sit down." He said sternly giving him a look which was almost startling. Neville gave a nod and gladly sat down.

"What is magic?" He asked in general to the group.

"A supernatural force that goes beyond the laws of nature..." Hermione replied giving him a brief answer.

"What's the difference between a magical person and a non-magical person?" He asked deciding to take the long way around.

"We can use magic…" Tracey chuckled and gave a sarcastic reply.

"True indeed…, but apart from that?" He prompted the others to answer.

"Nothing really…" Daphne answered since this was one of the topics that she learned and accepted after long thoughts and internal discussions.

"Science is the study of physical and natural world. Since you claim that magic is supernatural, science doesn't play a role. But what if I say that magic is just the bioelectric energy that exists within any living being both magical and non-magical, and that we magical people just have the ability to project it to the physical world. And that magic is very difficult to control even for us and that's why we prefer wands as tools. So in short, magic doesn't come from one place in our body, like how you're expecting Neville. Both mind and body working in perfect sync will give you control over your magic, and that's how you _use_ magic. So instead of trying to find your magic inside your body, focus on your thoughts and build intent, guide it and the magic will find you. And Neville…, wandless magic requires years of practice, it's not something you can master in a month." He spoke to them in general, but reassured Neville individually and the slightly plump boy gave a nod.

"Harry, what does that mean, you know the…bioeltic…thing you told us about." Luna asked curiously and looking from the reaction of Tracey, Daphne and Neville it was obvious that they had no idea.

"What do they teach you guys in muggle studies anyway?" He asked being completely flabbergasted about Luna's question.

"I've been asking that exact same question for a long time now, Harry." Hermione mused out loud and everyone with the exception of Harry looked confused.

"We have a very long way to go…" He said with a long sigh.

* * *

 _ **October 30**_ _ **th**_ _ **–**_

The last few days were both exhausting and amusing; it was amusing to see the reactions of the group when he revealed them that muggles have walked the moon and it was exhausting to explain every single thing about muggles to his group. Meanwhile the castle itself was cleaned and it was decorated in accordance to the Triwizard tournament.

He, Hermione and Neville were walking away from their potions class. It was one hell of a sight to see Snape cursing under his breath when the classes were cut in half. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations were arriving today, so the class ended early.

It was evening and the whole school was assembled in lines and were watching the great lake carefully waiting for the arrival of the delegations. First through the air came a giant light-blue carriage pulled by a dozen Abraxan winged horses. The carriage landed on the green pastures and the Abraxan horses jumped a little as if it was getting used to the new environment. The whole school was filled with awe as they almost missed the arrival of the Durmstrang delegation. Suddenly from under the water a huge ship emerged and the sails of the two masts fell down and the wind blew it to the front of the castle. The ship had a strange skeletal look similar to a 16th century Spanish galleon, possessing quarterdeck and forecastle; it was square-rigged and had two large masts.

The delegates of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang got out of their respective transports and all presented themselves properly. The Beauxbatons delegation led by Headmistress, Madam Olympe Maxime, proceeded to walk through the pasture to the castle's long entrances and made way into the castle. Meanwhile the Durmstrang delegation led by Headmaster Igor Karkaroff trekked towards castle using the entrance in the docks that the first years use to come to castle.

With that they were all dismissed, the delegations were led inside the castle by the professors. And they returned to their dormitories to do their work just so that they would be ready for the 'Welcoming Feast'. As instructed by professor McGonagall they all arrived for dinner on time and took their seats before the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegates themselves came.

The Great hall was decorated but only a little and the staff table was lengthened enough to fit in a few more people. In front of the hall stood a tall golden jewelled casket which in actuality was a casing that accommodated the 'goblet of fire'. At the staff table all professors were seated with the addition of Barty Crouch Sr. and Ludo Bagman as they all sat down Dumbledore went to the podium and began.

"Our guests have arrived… I proudly welcome the lovely ladies of 'Beauxbatons Academy of Magic' and their headmistress Madam Maxime." And with that the Beauxbatons delegation walked in followed by the half-giantess and headmistress Olympe Maxime. And the headmistress walked to the podium and greeted Dumbledore and she took a seat on the staff table, and just as she sat her students took their seat at Ravenclaw table.

"And now…our friends from the north! Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their headmaster Igor Karkaroff." Dumbledore continued and the Durmstrang delegation walked in proudly followed by Victor Krum and Igor Karkaroff. Igor and Dumbledore greeted each other and Karkaroff took a seat next to Severus Snape.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly, — guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" Dumbledore announced loudly and with that the Grand feast began.

The feast was just as grand as the start-of-term feast and a lot more dishes were included, while he was exactly hungry but he wasn't full either, hence unlike the others he wasn't in any hurry. And besides Hermione hated when he ate like a pig which probably reminded her of Ronald and his disgusting habits. As the feast ended Dumbledore stood up and walked to the podium and began again, "Now as we all are fed and well, let's proceed. The Triwizard tournament…one student selected from each of the competing schools, competing against each other to acquire the Triwizard cup. Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks… To explain all this we have the Head of Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch…"

Crouch walked forward and spoke, "There will be three tasks, each one of equally dangerous and testing. The first task is designed to test your daring; Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector... the Goblet of Fire"

And Dumbledore gave a swish and the jewelled casket melted down and disappeared and from inside it the 'Goblet of Fire' appeared. Then Dumbledore walked closer to it and touched the goblet with his hand and a blue-white flame was lit inside it.

Dumbledore spoke seriously taking point from Crouch, "The Goblet of Fire! Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour Thursday night. Do not do so lightly! If chosen, there's no turning back. As of this moment, The Triwizard Tournament has begun."

Just as Dumbledore finished there was a huge applause from everyone in the hall. As everyone was applauding, Harry himself who was clapping with a fake grin gently connected his mind to Hermione's via passive Legilimency and impassively spoke to her, _"It has begun…"_ Hermione looked at him briefly and their eyes connected and they went back to their clapping.

* * *

 _ **Guys sorry it took this long a time to update. This chapter maybe a little bit confusing, but a message told that the most unexpected of conversations must happen in the unlikeliest of place every now and then, hence the reason for the conversation between Harry and Hermione on her birthday. And don't worry I have added a back story to it too, so I have now proved that I too can write upto his expectations and criticisms, and I am expecting a message regarding what that guy has to say now.**_

 _ **And lads I decided that I didn't want to read the next book of Harry Potter series at first, but by chance I got a free book from my cousin and I read the 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' and trust me people don't bother reading it. It's almost completely useless and thoughtless sequel ever. The only strong character that appeals to me is Hermione's role, Minister of Magic who works for women empowerment in the wizarding world. Spoiler alert: Delphi, Voldemort's and Bellatrix's daughter is a complete b***ch, according to me. And story itself has loads and loads of plot holes in it.**_

 _ **And forgive me if this chapter is not upto your expectation not including that guy, because my heart wasn't in it. I expect a lot of critics and a few reviews for this chapter, so please go easy on me.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I've read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. There will be exaggeration but not over-exaggeration and apart from that there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

The whole school was abuzz in excitement and anticipation about the upcoming event. He, Hermione, Luna and Neville were sitting in the Gryffindor table and were eating while talking about various things. Luna rarely sat with them, because she rarely came to the great hall to eat, most often she went to the kitchen to have something to eat due to her unusual timings.

Meanwhile the other school delegations were observing their host school carefully. The Durmstrang students were easily mingling with the Slytherins, given that they all pretty much shared the same general ideologies and interests. While the Beauxbatons students were selective in their approach, only few actually mingled with the Ravenclaws whereas the others kept to themselves.

A few topics were being discussed repeatedly on every table in the great hall. And the few topics being Victor Krum's presence in the Durmstrang's delegation, Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle Delacour having Veela heritage, and the question about who will become the Hogwarts champion, and finally about the Triwizard tournament itself. The staffs themselves were having a discussion of their own.

Hermione was reading a book about 'Magical Auras', since the day Harry introduced it to her she has had various ideas on how to develop its applications. Harry was multitasking by reading the newspaper while having an argument with both Neville and Luna about 'muggles being too advanced enough to defeat wizarding world in an all-out war' and between that he was also having his breakfast.

Breakfast was a rather quiet and peaceful affair until a blonde girl with a breath-taking beauty elegantly appeared near the hall's huge door; she was none other than Fleur Delacour. With Fleur there was a small little girl who had Fleur's features, and everybody assumed that the girl was her sister Gabrielle and with them there was another raven haired girl. All three entered the hall and walked between the Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's tables towards the other end of the Ravenclaw table to silently have their breakfast. The two sisters being quarter-Veelas and with Gabrielle not having enough control over her undeveloped allure, they affected every single boy in their range, which earned the attention of the whole school. Since the whole school was watching the Delacour girls' movement, every boy in their range losing their mind for a brief moment and turning to gaze at the two walking sisters in a row served as an amusing sight for the unaffected populace and to all the girls in the vicinity. But what they didn't expect was, someone resisting the allure of the quarter-Veela sisters. Meanwhile Harry Potter didn't even raise his head or blink an eye when the sisters walked by, as he was still very interestedly reading the newspaper on the table. They were surprised by this, because it's not something that can be achieved that easily and with Neville who was sitting on Harry's right side and losing his cool for a brief moment made it clear that Fleur didn't by any chance decrease the strength of her allure. Hence it was overly clear that Harry resisted the allure, all eyes turned towards the raven-haired boy who was still oblivious to everything and was still in process of reading his newspaper and taking a bite from his sandwich.

As Neville resisted the Veela allure when he felt it, but since he didn't have much experience handling the sudden changes in emotions he couldn't completely block it out. Luna wasn't affected by it since she was a female and also noticed Neville's sudden stop in his retaliatory argument, but thought nothing of it and continued in Neville's place. And when Neville did snap out of it, he joined in with Luna and continued with their on-going argument. However unknowingly all three friends neglected the crowd who were watching curiously. What they didn't know was that Harry's mind most fluidly and instinctively raised his Occulumency barriers to a much higher level, as soon as it sensed the presence of a Veela's allure nearby. Hence Harry's preoccupied and multitasking mind detected the presence of a Veela's allure and raised the shields, but his active consciousness missed the Veela sisters' walking by and he continued on with his activities unaffected.

"Harry, Neville, Luna all of you stop talking…" Hermione said and used her elbow to poke her boyfriend on the side and snapped them all out of their flow.

Harry turned to look at Hermione irritably and on the way he noticed the number of eyes which were on him, mostly from the Beauxbatons students but still he noticed quite a few eyes from the others too, who all were now speaking softly among themselves. Harry himself was in the process of chewing his food, so he chewed faster and swallowed quickly, once he finished swallowing he leaned his head closer to Hermione and whisperingly asked her, "What's wrong, why are they staring at us?"

"You just ignored Fleur and her sister as they walked by." She answered bluntly with a barely visible tinge of smile.

"So…?" He questioned still not understanding the full meaning of her statement.

"You being a boy just ignored two quarter-Veelas, while they were using their 'allure' on every boy in the vicinity. And you brushed it off like it was nothing…" She spoke a little more clearly and he continued for her.

"Oh… Now those idiots probably think that I'm immune to a Veela's allure, don't they?"

"Yes." She agreed and she went back to her breakfast and he sighed a little and he too went back to do what he was doing uncaringly, since he knew that he could do very little to make them think otherwise.

A little while later Fred and George came to him out of the blue and began, "Harry, I know you must be quite busy as always…" Fred began.

"But we need your help." George finished his twin's sentence.

Harry meanwhile gave a knowing look to Hermione and he sedately turned towards the Weasley twins and said, "Let me guess.., you two want me to brew a potion for you?"

"YES." Both redheads spoke simultaneously.

"Why am I not surprised?" He asked in a sarcastic fake smile and turned to his sandwich.

"Harry, this is an important affair for us, if you do this for us we would make sure that it profits us on both ends." Fred explained and George nodded in agreement.

"Boys, you both are just as good at potions like me, why don't you do it yourself?" He asked still not treating them like almost adult wizards.

"I reckon you have better luck at making potions than us, mate…" This time George began.

"…and we have noticed before, that the potions you brew have a better potency and better effect than ours. Hence…"

"…we'd like it if you brew it for us again." George finished the sentence.

"I'm assuming that this has something to do with you both trying to enter both of your names into the 'Goblet of Fire'?" He signalled them to come closer and whisperingly asked them.

"Perceptive as always…, huh mate." Fred told he gave a mock proud look.

"So what potion do you need and when do you want it to be ready?" He asked casually and they whispered the details into his ear and he gave long nods of understanding.

"We have a deal." He shook hands with the prankster twins. With that both Weasley twins left and went to their seats.

"Mione, I think I may have to borrow your time-turner on Thursday." He asked her and a few minutes later she silently slipped her hands into his hands beneath the table, while giving his hand a short squeeze of concurrence.

He asked for the time-turner for Thursday, because an 'ageing potion' will lose a considerable level of its strength as every hour passes by after it is brewed, hence it was only logical to brew it on the day of use rather than to brew it now and throw it away later. Since he didn't have anything to worry about he went back to reading his newspaper and sandwich, while choosing not to continue his friendly argument with his friends.

Meanwhile Harry missed the looks from Dumbledore, quite a few stares from the students of the Beauxbatons delegation and that of Barty Crouch .Jr. Now Dumbledore was one hundred percent sure that Harry was indeed very well trained in Occulumency judging from how instinctively Harry blocked out the quarter-Veela's allure. No mentally untrained and ill-equipped wizard can even resist a Veela's allure, but since Harry had a few natural Occulumency barriers due to years of isolation he was sure that the boy could resist it at least. But to block out such sudden emotional phase change that easily, he was sure that Harry must have trained extensively to attain such a level of control over his mind. Everyone including our heroes missed Dumbledore's brief scrutinizing and thoughtful look.

Fleur and her group of friends were here to make an impression on the foreign school students and to influence their school's name into acquiring global attention. For the reason that they had so many other agendas in hand other than the Triwizard tournament and they weren't comfortable with someone completely blocking out one of their 'ace in the hole' techniques. They decided that they have to approach Harry Potter eventually to assess him.

Barty Crouch .Jr who was sitting at the staff table disguised as Alastor Moody too noticed the boy's mastery over the art of Occulumency. He and his master were briefed by Snape about the boy's naturally defensive mind which created mental barriers from a young age, but he never would've expected such an adept control over mind. He will have to be a little more careful in accosting the boy, because with such adeptness over Occulumency, Potter is bound to notice every single detail and if he slips up even a little, then the boy would naturally find him suspicious.

* * *

 _ **D.A.D.A Class-**_

Daphne was sitting with her best friend Tracey in the D.A.D.A class waiting for Moody to arrive. She liked Moody's classes, even if her head of House seemed to hate the man. The man's methods may be unethical and unorthodox, but his methods did bear extraordinary results. Out of the last four years in Hogwarts, two years of D.A.D.A classes were a complete waste of time, since their first year was taught by Quirrell who was possessed by Voldemort and Lockhart who was nothing more than a blithering idiot. It was her good luck that she found Harry and his group of friends and from them she learned the things she lost in class.

Meanwhile her thoughts roamed towards one Harry Potter. She was impressed by Harry's control over his mind, which she judged from the way he handled himself in the presence of a Veela today morning. She like many other girls liked it when their boyfriend was faithful to them, but unfortunately Harry wasn't interested in her and had his eye on Hermione Granger. For what reason he was interested in Granger she would never understand, but it was hard for her to forget her feelings for him.

Malfoy was as usual in his high and mighty self, he was in a particularly good mood these last couple of months, since he was able to criticize and tease one Ronald Weasley on a regular basis. Ronald Weasley had none to stand up for him and protect him now and the Weasley couldn't protect himself due to his abysmal skill in performing magic and most importantly Ron was an outcast in all the houses. It was very rare for a student to fail in their third year, because usually most staffs are lenient and they mostly let the students pass onto higher classes. It is scarcely infrequent for a student to get held up in their final years, because they are the closest to go into the real world and they all undoubtedly need to be prepared to face many dangers. And if a student in their final year doesn't have the necessary skill to protect himself/herself, then they get held back and even then they only get held back a year at most. Nevertheless, once every few years a student such as Ronald gets held behind due to their unquantifiable ineptness and in the end they quit studies long before he/she reaches his/her final years. And Malfoy was hoping that Ron would just quit his studies and disgrace the Weasley family.

Harry and Hermione were wondering about their upcoming class, where their professor has claimed that he would give them training to resist an 'Imperius curse'. And this was what worried them, because Moody/Barty hasn't yet given them training to resist under 'Imperius curse'. And knowing that they are being taught by a death eater brought out a worry that they couldn't ease, the real question was, if the training was for them or for Crouch .Jr. Last time around the death eater had already given them the training long before the arrival of the delegations. Their meddling with time has led to some minor changes in their day to day life, and they were both sure that these small changes would undeniably give rise to a large change in the timeline which would render their information regarding the future useless. And this change in the day to day occurrences was a proof of their calculated belief.

Just then Moody entered the classroom and began their class, which pertained to the practical session on the 'Imperius curse'.

* * *

 _ **Thursday Afternoon (Great Hall)-**_

Their classes were over and most of his classmates including him were walking to the great hall to witness the last of the older students who were all submitting their names to the 'Goblet of Fire'. Contrary to their worries, their D.A.D.A class on Monday went fine, but with a little twist of events to spice things up, he himself with Daphne and Tracey were all able to completely block out the effects of the 'Imperius curse', while Hermione and Neville were able to resist it to a certain level at first. He was able to block it in his very first try since he had enough first-hand experience in using it and also facing it, while Daphne and Tracey did it in their sixth and third time respectively. Hermione succeeded in resisting the curse and blocking it out completely by the end of the class, mostly because she succeeded in overcoming over her self-induced psychic barrier of fear. Hermione created a psychic block out of fear of her mind being played with; he suspected that this was because of living with Ron that caused her to build this paranoia. He has always been able to sense it whenever he reached into her mind, but he couldn't help her, because it was purely psychological and nothing external caused it and it was wise to let her overcome it by herself than to forcefully remove it. Meanwhile Neville was not so lucky, but however he did resist the 'Imperius' impressively. Then the rest of his classmates who all tried to resist the curse failed in their repeated attempts, while they had their fun watching Draco Malfoy walking around and crowing like a chicken.

Even today, D.A.D.A was their last class for the day, and Moody introduced the topic regarding 'Hex-Deflection'. Since the classes were over, he was free and Hermione already went to the library while he was walking towards the Great hall. Most of his classmates were headed towards the hall, on the way he silently deviated from the group and went to an empty corridor. And then he took the chain in his neck from under his robes and turned the hourglass-like locket four times indicating that he wanted to go four hours back in time and as a result he disappeared. Minutes after Harry disappeared back in time; another Harry walked through the very same corridor and proceeded towards the great hall.

They all entered the great hall and took seats around the goblet of fire watching the older students who were all putting their names in the goblet. He was both watching the older students who were submitting their names for the tournament, and keeping an eye on Ronald who looked both miserable and sad.

He read the red-head's mind and declared the Weasley to no longer be a threat for his plans, because Ronald Weasley was broken in mind and spirit. Ron had no friends in class to help him with his lessons, as he was too proud to ask his former classmates and his sister for help. Ginny who was studying with her brother avoided him due to her social standing among the other girls in her class. He was considered an outcast in Gryffindor as well as in the other houses and most importantly as a disgrace to his own family. A wizard from a pureblood family performing very inadequately in his studies this early in his schooling years is considered a disgrace due to the obvious prejudices is in the current structure of their society. Harry promised himself that he will no longer bother with sympathising for Ronald under any circumstances whatsoever and with that he ignored the red-head completely.

For the next hour he was sitting there lost in his thoughts, so he didn't notice the twins who came up to him from behind him and simultaneously spoke in his ears. "Thanks mate. We really appreciate your help." The annoying twins spoke to him dividing the sentence respectively, while already thanking him for the potions that he was about to deliver to them.

"You do know that your plan isn't gonna work, right?" He said and handed them their respective vials of 'ageing potion'.

"Why, Harry?" George and Fred asked simultaneously.

"For the reason that this plan is dim-witted at best..." He answered and as he said that statement, he understood how Hermione must have felt last time around.

"That's why this is going to work!" Again both claimed simultaneously and it annoyed him.

With that he stood up and walked out of the hall not fancying the idea of witnessing the twins' misfortune again even if he found the whole thing to be overly hilarious.

* * *

 _ **Library-**_

He entered the library and he searched for his girlfriend and he wasn't surprised in the least to find her sitting and referring almost ten books all together, but she looked like she was a little uneasy. He walked towards her and drew a chair from a nearby table and set it beside her and he sat on it.

Just as he sat down Hermione growled at him in an inaudible tone, "Where have you been?" She asked him in a terse but inaudible tone and he was really surprised as he was sure that he didn't do anything to deserve such a treatment.

"What's wrong honey?" He softly asked her as he looking very concerned.

Hermione groaned out almost inaudibly and pointed her eyes to the other side of the library and when he was about to turn around and look at whom she was pointing at he was stopped sharply, "Don't turn around…"

He slowly casted a few 'silencing charms' and secured the place and he did it both wandlessly and nonverbally and then he turned his head towards the other side of the library while looking upwards, but she stopped him again this time sounding almost nervous, "Look casual, Harry."

Harry was growing impatient by his girlfriend's nervousness, "I have a better idea…, just let your Occulumency barrier down." He said in an obvious and direct tone.

She looked unsure for a moment, but she nodded her head nonetheless and dropped her mental shields and he gently used his Legilimency on her and viewed her recent images, thoughts and memories. He inspected her recent memories only and nothing else as he respected her privacy and her need for space.

After viewing her memories he spoke casually, "It's just Krum…, of course he is sitting and staring at you, but I'm sure that there is a very good reason for it."

"There is a good reason, Harry. Two days ago we ran into each other in the corridor as I was heading to the dormitories after lunch. And almost immediately after we met, he asked me to be his guide so to show him around the castle, and he clearly hoped that I would agree instantly. But I refused and he didn't look exactly thrilled when I turned him down. And now he is sitting there and he has been watching me for the last hour and I find his gaze irksome." Hermione rambled on about to him obviously nervous and he smiled amusedly.

"He obviously finds you attractive, as the Triwizard Champions' selection are mere hours away and he is sitting here and watching you and that is saying something and besides I wouldn't blame him exactly, since you _are_ beautiful, brilliant and lovely…my sweet little bookworm." His reply lightened the mood and lifted her spirits, but she was still worried.

Hermione was flattered by Harry's statement, but was a little surprised by how Harry wasn't overreacting. "Harry, how are you so calm about this?"

"Well he has rather good taste in girls, I admire him a little and we were kind of friends in the future." He replied dispassionately and a little favourably.

"You were friends with him…?" Hermione asked him staggered a little.

"Yes I was, Hermione. Just because he was your ex-boyfriend doesn't mean that I can't be his friend." He answered back finding her doubt a little amusing.

"I'm not saying that you can't be his friend, all I'm asking is how that even happened given that you were still in love with me and him being my ex?" She corrected her intent and asked curiously and interestedly.

"Well last time around during this period, after the Yule ball to be precise…, I was both jealous of him and I admired him a bit, and I admit it. I was jealous of him because you were his girlfriend and I admired him because he had the guts to approach you. A few years after the war when Viktor retired from being a Quidditch player…, he took over his father's greenhouses and businesses in order to expand his 'herb' supply all over Asia. And he succeeded in it too, anyhow the ICW had a considerable amount of Asian wizards and witches and among them many of them were either Potioneers or they had an Apothecary business. Hence with Viktor Krum being a famous former-Quidditch player and a successful businessman, he had a lot of customers inside the ICW. And eventually Viktor too became a member of the ICW committee and I suspect that he spent quite a lot of money to get it and that's how we met again. At first all of our conversations started with you Hermione, but later when I made it clear that we weren't in touch, we became an acquaintance of sorts. A couple of years later, I asked him for a favour with accordance to one of my projects and we had to meet. So we met…., and-shared-a-few-stories, got-drunk, started-a-fight-in-a-pub, destroyed-the-pub, woke-up-the-following-morning-in-a dirty-alley-and-he-invited-me-to-his-house-to-clean-up, and-with-that-we-became-friends." He explained concisely at the beginning, but by end his explanation became blunt and hurried.

"Oh…, now I see why you're so calm about this… So honey, does this mean that you're going to turn a blind eye, when he makes a move on me?" She asked it in a teasing way.

"Not a bloody chance in hell." He replied instantly and hurriedly while giving her a mock appalled look.

She laughed aloud at his possessive reply and he grinned at her in return. When they both stopped laughing he continued, "I wonder why you broke up with him in the first place, he's great lad and he _was_ one of my very few friends." In his future Viktor Krum was one of his few friends he could share a drink and talk freely with; he had a lot of acquaintances and business contacts, but very few friends.

"Harry, he wanted more of an intimate physical relationship than a romantic one. And he only chose me, because he liked my innocence and inexperience as a girl, and he was more interested in the fact that I was a virgin than me as a person. That's why I decided that it was better to break up with him than end up hurting myself in the end, and we were in contact for quite a while even after that." She explained it to him softly.

"Yes, I do must agree with that. He did have that kind of thought process, where he still considered witches as unequal to wizards in terms of… well almost everything." He replied and gave his agreement.

Then a sudden thought struck him and he asked to confirm his doubt, "Wait, does that mean you didn't have sex with Viktor last time?"

"Of course not Harry, what gave you such an idea? Did he tell you that?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, he did. But what did you mean by that statement you told me _'he is more of a physical being that anything else'_?" He asked curiously as if he doubted his own beliefs.

"I can't believe you remembered that…? And I don't want to blame you but I'm blaming you, because you apparently thought that I had sex with him…" She was shocked by his declaration.

"Well what reason did I have to think otherwise, huh? And after you said _that_ and you laughed out loud both nervously and shyly, and with me being a teenage boy I obviously used my imagination." He admitted his fault and confessed but he said it jokingly.

"You were hurt by that, weren't you?" She asked him as if though she already knew the answer.

"Of course I was hurt, I was already jealous of Viktor and then you told that particular sentence and obviously I assumed it wrong…" He didn't quite finish his sentence, but he let his statement draw out.

"If it's any consolation, you can take comfort in the fact that I was jealous of Cho and I in turn wanted to make you feel jealous of me, so that's why I told you about Viktor that day." She said and he looked a little surprised and appreciative of her confession.

But she wasn't finished, "And besides this time around you were my first and probably the last, and most importantly you were the one who took my…" Hermione was cut off by Harry abruptly.

"Oh Merlin…, please don't finish that sentence, Mione. It's awful enough that I feel guilty about it all the time and you don't have to keep reminding me of it every now and then. And keep in mind that you tricked me into it." Harry replied to her irritably.

"Oh please, it isn't like that you didn't enjoy it…, now that I think of it you enjoyed it just as much as I did…" She smugly said it, while feigning a thoughtful look. At first he looked at her in shock, but then he gave her a more resigned look because he couldn't claim that her statement was false. He slammed his head into the table and turned his head a little and mock glared at her sideways and he noticed a strange glint of mischievousness in her eyes and an annoying smile on her face that reminded him of the time, when she first tricked him.

"Why are you so against sex, Harry?" She asked him curiously and jokingly, because she never understood his reasoning about them being not of age about having some intimate private time.

"I'm not against it Mione and god knows how much I've enjoyed it every time. But…it's just that I wanted our first time to be really _special_ …and not something we did due to an unbalanced hormonal impulse." He divulged his thoughts and disappointment in himself, but he did so a little hesitantly.

"Define 'Special'." She almost ordered him while probing him for answers.

"'Special' meaning exotic destinations, fancy hotel rooms, romantic music, candles, roses and wine." He revealed his fantasy to her while flushing a little.

"So in a nutshell, you were willing to let me wait until our honeymoon?" She asked in obvious shock.

"There's nothing wrong in it." He reasoned softly.

"Harry, please answer me this honestly. Do you think you would've been able to wait that long?" She asked him seriously looking him directly into his eyes.

"Bloody hell no…" He answered honestly with a half-chuckle. "But that doesn't mean that we had to wait until we got married, we could've done the same thing when we are a little older during another vacation you know."

"What makes you think that we can't do it now?" She asked him while holding onto his hand under the table and he didn't have an answer for that.

He smiled softly at her tender touch and said, "Well you just gave me something to look forward to…"

With that they both sat silently for the next few minutes until she remembered why their conversation started in the first place and she asked him, "We got a long way off topic didn't we? So what are we going to do with Viktor?"

"He left the library minutes after we started talking." He replied slowly in an obvious gesture, but at the same time in an amusing and teasing tone and she looked across him to confirm it and he was right about Krum's absence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked him as she gave a small slap to his chest.

"Where's the fun in that?" He replied and they both laughed at each other.

Hermione was enjoying her conversation with Harry. Her boyfriend was brilliant and very talented but mentally he was insecure of many things and he kept worrying a lot. Their relationship was both healthy and strong; she had no problems with Harry since their bond was built on mutual understanding and hardships. But Harry on the other hand was incomplete, he had a lot of unresolved issues from his last life and it was her intent to exhume him and make him human again. She usually involved herself with him in a lot of conversations, comforting gestures and intimacy just so to distract him from the thoughts of his haunting past/future in order to keep him comfortable, focused and off of his fears of the present. Right now she was happy that her minor plans were a success.

"Harry, are you ready for what I suggested?" She asked him being confident that her plan will work.

"Mione, do you really think this is necessary, I can handle the animosity you know?" He spoke almost hesitantly.

"Honey, this year is already going to be rough on you. And if this makes our year bearable, then it's only logical that we do it, isn't it?" She reasoned and he agreed with her by giving a nod of consent.

With that they both sat in the library, not wanting to go to the Triwizard Champion selection.

* * *

 _ **That Night (Great Hall) –**_

The room was filled by students from all three schools and staffs. The 'goblet of fire' was placed at the centre of the room and a blue flame was alit in it. Dense anticipation and excitement clouded the room as all the students were talking among themselves.

Dumbledore separated himself from the four heads of houses and Moody, and then moved to the Goblet. Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke as the noise in the hall subsided, "We're all here in this auspicious occasion to witness history as it unfolds."

"The champions will be chosen in a few moments. Now, let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone."

"The Goblet of Fire…the impartial selector…will choose the Triwizard champions now." Dumbledore announced out loud.

Just as Dumbledore finished the fire in the goblet turned red, sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air and a half-burnt piece of parchment descended down and Dumbledore caught it and read the name written upon it.

"The Durmstrang Champion is…, Viktor Krum." There was a loud applause from the Durmstrang students and the other students clapped and showed their appreciation. The tall Quidditch Seeker stood up and walked to Karkaroff, and the former-death eater hugged Krum, and then directed him to Dumbledore who congratulated the champion and pointed him to the champions' chamber and Karkaroff led Krum into it.

The fire in the Goblet turned red again and another piece of parchment flew out among the sparks and this Dumbledore caught it and read the name, "The Beauxbatons Champion is…, Fleur Delacour."

There was a huge round of applause from the Beauxbatons delegation and the other two schools clapped and showed their approval. The quarter-Veela witch walked to her headmistress Madam Maxime and then the giant headmistress led Fleur to Dumbledore and after the congratulations she too was led to the champions' chamber.

Before Fleur could even enter the chamber, the fire turned red again and a singed piece of parchment shot out of it and Dumbledore caught it again and announced, "The Hogwarts Champion is…, Cedric Diggory." There was huge applause that was so loud that it almost deafened everyone in the room, Cedric stood up from among his friends walked to Dumbledore and the old wizard congratulated the young champion and let McGonagall take Cedric into the chamber.

"Give applause to all our Triwizard Champions." Dumbledore spoke joyfully and all the students in the hall clapped loudly.

"The Champions will be par…" Dumbledore stopped, because his twinkling eyes noticed that the students were eyeing the goblet and he turned around just in time to see the fire turning red and sparks shooting off the goblet. And one last piece of parchment shot out and descended among the red flames and landed in Dumbledore's hand.

Dumbledore read the name in the piece of parchment and his eyes widened in shock and he cleared his throat and announced, "Harry Potter."

There was a stunned silence in the hall with only Dumbledore's enraged voice echoing through the hall, "HARRY POTTER… HARRY POTTER."

"Professor…" A soft voice interrupted the headmaster and everybody turned their heads towards the source. The source of the voice was none other than Neville Longbottom, Neville nervously shivered a little at the attention, but nonetheless he spoke if only a little shakily, "Professor, Harry isn't here."

"Where is he, Mr. Longbottom?" McGonagall asked before Dumbledore could ask.

"Harry's in the library with Hermione; they said that they had to complete their Charms homework." Neville answered to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Since the whole hall was overly silent due to the shock, Neville's answer was heard by everyone and they all started to wonder on what was going on.

"Minerva, will you go and fetch Harry for me, he obviously doesn't have a clue of what has happened here." Dumbledore who reacquired his calmness immediately requested the transfiguration professor and McGonagall promptly left.

Approximately five minutes later Minerva McGonagall walked inside the great hall with Harry Potter and Hermione in toe. Both Harry and Hermione walked inside with a lot of books still in hand while looking a little alarmed. He gave his books to Hermione who went and took a seat near Susan, while Harry was led towards Dumbledore. It was his girlfriend's clever idea to act oblivious and not being present in the hall during the champions' selection and obviously she was right. Because compared to last time, he only noticed very few glares being directed at him from all those who were occupied in the hall. Most of them looked at him confusedly; the Ravenclaws looked thoughtful, his own house mates looked hopeful, the Slytherins were glaring at him more than usual, meanwhile most of the Hufflepuffs looked torn but he did notice a few glares from them.

Karkaroff, Maxime, Dumbledore, Moody, Crouch, Bagman, Sprout, Flitwick and Snape were all standing together discussing things. Karkaroff, Maxime and Crouch .Sr were all called out of the champions' chamber to brief them about the circumstances of Harry's entry. Harry walked towards the goblet and stood before Dumbledore giving the man a confused and questioning look and in return Dumbledore handed him the half singed piece of parchment with his name written on it. He seeing his name written on it, his own eyes widened and he immediately turned to look at the Weasley twins and glared at them both coldly.

The twins who understood how it must look to Harry immediately claimed, "We didn't put your name into the goblet Harry, we swear." Both spoke aloud at the same time and finished the sentence simultaneously. The twins' statement earned the attention of almost everyone in the hall and the glares and stares reduced a little more. Now most of the students in the hall looked confused and half of the population was convinced that Harry had no clue of what has happened and most importantly how it happened.

Without the last three years of incidents that happened last time in which most of them being Dumbledore's orchestrated string of events, Harry's social image was still upheld at a considerably high level. According to the school's population Harry was antisocial and reserved, but none could refute the obvious signs of Harry's silent intellect and aggressive talent. They have witnessed Harry's skilful ability to fly on many occasions and almost everybody knew about Harry's level in academic. So to the smart population, in short Harry was the opposite of the daft attention seeking boy who would put his name into the goblet without caring for his life, hence they found Harry's actions to be rather contradictory to his character. The others who hated the idea of Harry being in the competition only saw this as an act of arrogance while the majority of the Hogwarts' student population were surprisingly neutral to Harry's entry.

"Perhaps this is a conversation that should be conversed in private." Dumbledore interrupted the staffs' conversation and led Karkaroff, Maxime, Moody, Crouch, Bagman, Minerva, Sprout and him to the champions' chamber. Dumbledore walked inside the chamber, having instructed Hagrid, Flitwick and Snape to assist the students to their respective dormitories and the delegations to their respective accommodations. Snape wasn't happy about being excluded out of the meeting, but what the hook-nosed man didn't know was that Dumbledore purposefully kept him out, since Severus Snape was becoming overly slippery as of recently.

* * *

 _ **In the Champions' Chamber-**_

Dumbledore escorted Harry by his side, just as they reached down the stairs Dumbledore caught hold of both his shoulders and asked him seriously, "Harry, did you put your name into the cup?"

"No sir..." He replied hastily.

Dumbledore didn't let go of Harry's shoulder and asked again in the exact same tone, "Did you ask any of the older students to put your name in it?"

"No sir."

"Ze boy is lying of course." Madam Maxime said loudly.

"I would never…" He retaliated back forcefully. Since his act about being oblivious to the event gave reason for the other schools' dignitaries to give him a chance to explain.

"Prove it, boy." Karkaroff taunted him and he was unsure of where this was going.

"And how exactly do you expect me to do that?" He asked back almost sounding sarcastic.

"An oath will do…" Karkaroff suggested immediately having already thought about a solution.

"An Oath…?" He asked surprised by the turn of events.

"I agree, ze boy must swear an oath on 'is magic." The Beauxbatons headmistress supported Karkaroff.

"That is not necessary…" Dumbledore immediately interjected.

"I'm afraid that's not your decision to make Albus." Karkaroff swiftly replied again as if already being prepared to argue.

"I disagree, it is precisely his decision to make, Potter is a student of this school and as his headmaster Albus has every right to stop the boy from forfeiting his magic." Moody supported Dumbledore and aimed a look towards Karkaroff which made the former death eater to take a step back.

"So even you zink 'e boy is guilty." The half-giantess claimed strongly.

"I never said that Potter entering his own name wasn't a possibility." Moody defended his point.

"Albus, Alastor, if Potter wants to prove his innocence then it is his choice, don't you think?" Pomona Sprout the head of Hufflepuff who was evidently supporting Cedric clearly made her point. And that surprised everyone from Hogwarts; even Cedric was a little uncomfortable with his head of house's support on the topic.

"Okay, I'll do it." Harry said out loud and he did so rather dispassionately, as he was getting very frustrated with the arguing adults and he agreed to their demands.

"Harry, my boy, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone." The century year old headmaster advised him carefully.

"Professor, I could care less of what all those idiots think about me, but this is about finding the truth. There are various reasons for I'm willing to do this, first of all _this_ is a piece of parchment and I've completely stopped using parchments this year, now I'm using muggle notebooks and pens in class, indicating that someone else did this. Second of all I'm innocent and somebody entered my name into the Goblet for some darn reason and I intend to find out whom and why, and besides that, I'm not taking the blame for something I didn't do. And above all that I won't let them slander my family's name with something false." He asserted his reason fiercely and everyone in the room was surprised by his statement. Because Harry Potter just openly insulted everyone in the room and he didn't even blink an eye and everyone from Hogwarts were even more surprised by Harry's aggressive approach.

Meanwhile the other three champions, who were all neglected at the moment, understood what has happened after they left the hall, and they derived it from the on-going argument. Krum was angry that Hogwarts was getting two participants and more angry at Harry for stealing the attention of the girl who he had an eye on. Fleur was annoyed by Harry's presence and his statement didn't raise his status in her eyes either and she already disliked Harry due to him resisting her allure. Meanwhile Cedric was torn between his school's increased chance in victory, and sharing his glory with Harry and the fact that Harry indicated him as an idiot among others.

Harry loosely flexed his right wrist and drew his Holly wand from his wand-holster and spoke, _"I, Harry James Potter hereby swear on my magic and my life, that I did not submit my name into the 'Goblet of Fire' nor did I ask anyone to submit it in my stead either. So mote it be..."_ He finished his last sentence in a whispery tone and then he sent a small white spark of magic and his oath was sealed. Everyone was horrified by the fact that Harry Potter swore on his life as he took an oath, because if Harry had lied then the oath would take his life.

A hint of blue light encased his wrist for a brief moment and then it dimmed and disappeared. "Well, here I am alive and I'm pretty sure that I haven't lost my magic. Are you happy now?" He asked obviously angry at their accusations, while he took a seat near Cedric.

There was a short silence which was broken by Cedric, "Harry, if you didn't put your name into the cup and if you didn't ask anyone else put it in for you either, but then who entered your name into the tournament?" Cedric asked curiously, putting his prejudices and pride behind as he understood that Harry was under a tremendous amount of stress.

"I don't know Cedric, but I'll find out whom. Since now I'm off of the tournament it'll be much easier." He replied happily and confidently. Meanwhile both Fleur and Krum looked uninterested with what Harry will do from now on, because Harry was out of the tournament now and they didn't care anymore.

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that you're not out of the tournament." Crouch .Sr spoke for the first time in the entire argument.

"What do you mean? I just proved that I'm innocent…" He replied loudly in obvious shock.

"That's irrelevant!" Barty Crouch .Sr carefully stated.

"How's that irrelevant…?" He stood up and almost yelled at the head of the department of International Magical Cooperation. Most in the room didn't like Harry Potter demanding answer, but they couldn't help but sympathize for the obviously distressed boy, so they didn't bother with stopping the boy.

"Harry, please clam down my boy." Dumbledore intervened and said in his grandfather like voice and made him sit again.

"Yes Barty, Harry cannot participate, he is too young and his age conflicts with the age rule." Dumbledore supported him.

"The rules are clear Albus, I'm afraid Mr. Potter has no choice…" Barty Crouch .Sr made it clear to the headmaster.

"'Has no choice'…? What happens if I refuse to participate?" He curiously asked the most obvious question.

"Harry, if you don't participate in the tournament, then you'll lose your magic." McGonagall spoke for the first time and she was happy that Harry was innocent in this.

"What…? Professor McGonagall, you can't be serious?" He asked clearly alarmed by the revelation.

"The 'Goblet of Fire' is a magical device and it creates a magical contract with the champions once chosen. Here it has made a binding contract with you and if you don't participate then it will cease your magic. That's why compulsory warnings were given repeatedly reminding everyone about the danger if they were going to be in, if selected." The transfiguration professor explained it calmly and carefully.

"But a magically binding contract requires blood or direct access to the person's magic. So the contract in this case, must be between with whoever entered my name and the goblet; hence if I don't participate then the person who entered my name will be the one to lose his/her magic, not me. And that way we can find out who entered my name too…" He said being confident in his logic. Meanwhile the other three champions and almost everyone in the room were surprised by Harry's extensive knowledge about many unapparent things and agreed with his logic.

"That's not necessarily true." Dumbledore began softly. "As you said Harry, a magically binding contract requires blood or direct magic authentication when it's being made by a person and the evidence of it is being drawn on a parchment, but here, the one that's making the contract is the goblet, which is a magical instrument. And all the goblet needs is the presence of the one who is put under contract to be in the proximity within its _range_ , which is the entire school. And my boy, the goblet only has a name to relate with and here it cross-checks and correlates with the school's updated student registry, which has everyone who is currently residing in the school. So by now the goblet would have related your name with the student's registry and would have binded your magic to the contract via the use of the school's wards. And before you ask, it's not a reversible process, and Harry, 'once chosen, there's no turning back' I meant it when I said that." Dumbledore explained in detail and finished.

Everyone in the room accepted the explanation and agreed that Harry must be considered a champion of the tournament, but Harry wasn't finished. "Professor, if that is true then by the rules, shouldn't only one champion be selected for a school, but here we are two champions for Hogwarts. So the goblet's decision conflicts with one of the rules, so isn't this process considered invalid." He pointed out the flaw in the entire selection process. Now again everybody's curiosity was piqued by Harry's clever question especially the other two champions and their respective schools' authorities.

"A very good question Potter, obviously my lessons on 'constant vigilance' has been effective on you if not for anyone else. The Goblet is considered the perfect selector for its impartial and unbiased selection which effectively gives us the best champions among all the applicants, but the safeguard that protects the goblet can be bypassed by an 'n' number of ways. For example, a powerful 'confundus charm' used by a powerful witch or wizard can mislead the goblet into thinking that there are four schools instead of three. And if your name is entered under the name of the fourth school and with you being the sole participant that can lead the goblet to choose you undoubtedly. And this is for just one example, and trusts me when I say this there are at least a dozen other ways of doing the same thing…" Moody/Crouch .Jr explained it to him in a fast and gruff tone and he sat there in a thoughtful pose.

"Doesn't the 'Confundus Charm' only affect living beings?" He asked now with a new set of doubts regarding Moody's answer.

"No Harry, the 'Confundus charm' will affect anything that is magical or living." Cedric explained it to him briefly.

If Karkaroff was surprised by Moody's explanation, he didn't show it. "Can we select another champion for our schools to even the competition, two champions for each of the schools?" Karkaroff asked out loud hoping to get another champion for his school.

"Yes, I agree too. Anuzzer champion for ze school will make zis tournament fair." Olympe Maxime added her support to Karkaroff's idea, because they had no choice but to let the boy participate and she assumed that her request may be considered. Meanwhile both Krum and Fleur looked unhappy about the request, because if that happens then they will have to share their glory with whoever gets selected.

"No such a selection cannot be conducted if at all any, since the 'goblet of fire' will extinguish itself once the champions are selected and it will remain that way until the next tournament." Ludo Bagman spoke for the first time, because until now he was busy scheming about betting on Harry Potter and making some money to pay off his debts. To him Harry was portrayed as a brilliant, observant boy with inborn talent who would undoubtedly win the tournament.

"In short, you're saying that I'm trapped in this tournament. If I participate then there's a high chance that I'll die and if I don't participate then I lose my magic." He spoke sounding dejected by the events and it earned him a few sympathetic looks.

"Professor…I think I'll choose the latter." He said casually shocking everyone in the room.

"Harry, you don't mean that." Dumbledore who expected this, said in a way to make him reconsider.

"Unlike my parents I want to live professor. Practically speaking I'm just like a muggleborn, I didn't even know that I had magic until I was eleven and I'm sure that I can adjust back into such a life again not having many problems." He replied in an obvious tone, while revealing that he lived a life with muggles until Hogwarts.

"'Constant Vigilance' Potter, I thought you were smart. Think like this, whoever entered your name probably meant you harm and if you give up your magic then you're making this easy for them, don't you think?" Moody asked in a gruff tone, because he can't let Potter ruin his master's plan by forfeiting his magic for extended life.

This made Harry to think again for a very long moment and this time he didn't have another counter or any more doubtful questions and then he said albeit hesitantly, "Fine, I'll participate." And Dumbledore approved of Alastor Moody's smart question and Harry's smart choice.

With that the discussion and meeting was unofficially considered over, until Barty Crouch .Sr walked upto the champions and gave them the date for the first event and explained to them about what the first event was designed to test them. With that all the champions including him were all dismissed while the adults in the room stayed back to have some serious conversations, which probably regarded the entrance of Harry Potter.

As they were walking to their dormitories, Cedric asked, "So Harry, I think we'll be competing against each other."

"In all probability, yes…" He said sounding and looking tired at the same time, while Krum and Fleur actively listened into the conversation of the two Hogwarts champions.

"Then good luck and all the best…" Cedric said to him in a greeting tone and he in turn looked grateful.

"Good Luck to you too, Cedric! And I'm really sorry for interfering with your chance at fame…" He replied in a genuinely disappointed tone and Cedric gave a nod at acceptance and they both went separately to their respective dormitories, not realizing that the other two champions were on the verge of changing their views on both the Hogwarts champions.

Harry on his way to the Gryffindor tower entered an empty corridor with no portraits and there he smiled briefly and became almost impassive immediately, as he passed the corridor. Indicating that the raven haired hero's realistic and manipulative acting has worked flawlessly and he was grateful for his girlfriend's idea, which really gave way for him to act accordingly.

* * *

 _ **Hope you like the long chapter. Next chapter will be arriving a little late and I'm saying this to avoid some hate messages. People, what should I do with the Study group because I'm not sure how to continue with it? Most probably this year the scenes with the study group will either be more or very less.**_

 _ **And before you ask me, Harry won't become best friends with Krum just because he was his friend in the future. Should I change the tasks or keep it the same as last time? And are you happy with the development regarding Harry/Hermione pairing or should I tone it down? And finally should I accelerate the story's pace or only write the important chapters, or should I keep it sated like adding fillers in between important chapters, like right now? Give me some answers.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable unlike many other stories I've read which I found unbelievable, over-exaggerated and discontinued. Like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. There will be exaggeration but not over-exaggeration and apart from that there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Gryffindor Common Room-**_

Harry gently walked in through the portrait hole and entered into the Gryffindor common room only to see the sight that he had already anticipated. There were a lot of people sitting and waiting for him in the common room and most of them smiled at his arrival, but there was also a small group of people who stared at him with a deep loathing. While most of the seventh years and almost all from his year and many others were congratulating him, this group of idiots were glaring at him.

This group consisted of two seventh year boys who apparently entered their names but didn't get selected and a sixth year boy whom he had occasionally seen in their house and finally two other idiots he wasn't surprised to find, Cormac McLaggen and Ronald Weasley. As he was hesitantly and awkwardly conveying to the very people who were congratulating him that he didn't enter his name, he gently probed every idiot's minds from the 'group' with his passive Legilimency. He wasn't surprised in the very least to find that every single one of them held a grudge on him in some way.

Tim, Patrick, Digby, Cormac and Ronald all had a few things in common that held them together as a team, arrogance, discourteousness, selfishness and a serious dislike towards Harry Potter. Tim and Patrick disliked him because they were jealous of his talents, but mainly due to the fact that they were failures in their year and also for the reason that they didn't get selected as the champions. Dumb as they were, they both blindly believed that they had the necessary skills to get selected by the goblet without a doubt. Digby was quite level-headed, but the boy didn't have enough self-control over his emotions, and he was also very sensitive and easily offended and obviously those three emotions were a bad combination. And Digby hated him but not without a good reason, he apparently stole Digby's chance at being a Quidditch Seeker during his first year, and the sixth year boy was overly fond of Quidditch to the level of his former captain Oliver Wood. And Digby's skills at 'seeking' was nothing to scoff at, as it was enough to get him to the final three candidates among the two other fifth years when Digby himself was in his third year, that was until he came along and outdid all three of them and got the position. Cormac was entirely another matter, he was in his fifth year and he was getting very interested in girls and he was the one of the very few who has noticed Hermione's continuing physical growth into an attractive teen both in beauty and brains, and Cormac apparently fancied her. And Cormac's thoughts actually shocked him; the idiot was waiting for the right opportunity to make a move on her and there were quite a few nasty thoughts in his head that didn't qualify as healthy even for an adult. Hence he having his girlfriend's undivided attention was bothering the nasty fifth year to no end. Ronald hated him for various other reasons, but what was happening now is that the redhead being in a 'group' and having friends again raised the degenerative fool's self-esteem and gave the boy his huge conceit back to him. Henceforth the group was planning a few things to make his life a living hell this year and he promised himself that he'll be ready.

"Harry, what did they say?" Seamus asked excitedly and the whole room fell silent to listen to his impending story.

Seeing all their interested looks he began, "Well first they asked me if I entered my name into the goblet and when I said 'no', the Durmstrang headmaster Igor Karkaroff suggested that I give an 'oath' to prove that I wasn't lying and I did…" Harry was cut off midsentence by Dean.

"You gave an oath? What did you swear on…?" Dean asked still shocked by his revelation like many others.

"I swore on both my magic and my life…" And he was cut off again, but this time by many at the same time who were all gasping in shock at his response.

He sat there and stared at them amusedly until they all quietened down and when they did he continued, "So obviously I didn't die and proved them that I was innocent... But then Mr. Crouch told me that it was irrelevant and that I have to participate nonetheless."

Just as he finished that sentence there was a huge applause from almost everyone for a brief moment, but everyone toned it down immediately seeing Harry's narrowed eyes and irritated look. "Then I argued with Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Crouch and in between that, they argued among themselves and they finally agreed that I had no choice but to participate in the tournament." But before he could continue the celebration began again and it was louder and bigger than ever as they lifted him up against his protests and within minutes he was bouncing up and down in air. This time his name and social status was higher than ever without the last three years of misfortunes and superficially they thought of him as the gift of Gryffindor.

Meanwhile he communicated with Hermione via the use of his Legilimency, and she used the psychic channel to glean through his recent memories and thoughts. After reviewing through his thoughts, she was very happy when she learned that her plan was working brilliantly and it was helping her boyfriend's situation immensely. But she also learned about the 'unfavourable' group's intentions and she was furious about what they thought of Harry, and especially about what Cormac and Ron thought of her and Harry's relationship.

And with that everyone started to retire to their respective dormitories after the particularly long day. Ronald and his group were the first ones to retire to their dormitories. He walked up the stairs among others, but he made sure to send Hermione a Legilimency message to meet early the next morning, so they could talk and with that they all went to bed.

* * *

 _ **Wand Weighing Ceremony-**_

The last couple of weeks were much better comparing to what he remembered from last time. Last time around Ron was angry at him, most of the school gave him glares and stares and a few disgusted looks came from the teachers. To be exact, Hermione didn't treat him badly, but she didn't treat him well either, she was rather indifferent and impassive about the whole thing. And that's when he realised a truth which he refused to accept for a long time; it was how not to trust anyone entirely, but even then he was too darn forgiving.

But this time his manipulative acting and the story of 'the oath' was circulated among the student population by Cedric who obviously told his housemates about it and the information was shared and spread recklessly like a wildfire. And eventually the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students too heard about it and inquired about it to Fleur and Krum who were silent about the entire issue until then. Krum and Fleur both respected Harry for his character as they witnessed him when he apologised to Cedric, but nonetheless they disliked him due to him participating in the tournament.

Currently he and Hermione were standing side by side in their double potions class and were diligently brewing their 'undetectable poison'. He was almost done with dicing the potion ingredients and he was finished early because today was day for the 'weighing of the wands ceremony' and he was expecting someone to come and take him to the ceremony.

"'Undetectable Poisons' are called as such, since their reputation to be undetectable. One cannot detect it unless and until it is consumed by someone, anybody care to explain why?" Snape asked his question in a dull droning tone in order to distract the other house students from their work, where the Slytherins were aware of Snape's tactics.

Hermione was about to raise her hand to answer as usual until she noticed Luna standing at the doorway and so did Snape and immediately Luna was subjected to Snape's sarcastic sneer, "Miss…Lovegood…, how may I help you?" And it was followed by sniggers which erupted from most of the Slytherins in class, which was largely due to Luna's reputation as the weirdest girl of Ravenclaw.

"Mr. Bagman has requested for Harry Potter for the wand weighing ceremony." Luna ignored the man's statement and asked the incompetent greasy haired fool for permission.

"Whatnot…" Snape simply stated and went back to his question ignoring both Harry and Luna.

He moved to pack his things and when he finished packing, he left the room deliberately ignoring the glares that he was receiving from the Slytherins.

He walked out of the room with Luna towards the Champions' chamber for the ceremony. As he was walking he noted Luna's unusual quietness and her unease, but initially he thought nothing of it. But a few minutes later the signs of her discomfort were becoming too apparent, he long ago understood that none can read Luna's thoughts and he wisely decided not to probe her mind with Legilimency. He asked a little concernedly just to make sure that she wasn't bullied or hurt by someone, "Luna, are you alright? You look a little peaky…"

Just as he said that, Luna looked very nervous and as if she was stuck in an internal struggle. And a few minutes later she hesitantly signalled him to lean down to her height and when he did she whispered something into his ears and his eyes widened in surprise, "Okay…!"

After a short pause, "Didn't your father explain this to you…?" He asked back both questioningly and curiously, to which she shook her head sideways but didn't speak out loud.

"All right…, I think the ceremony can wait a little longer. First let's go to the infirmary." He said and led the way and the dirty haired Ravenclaw followed behind him.

They reached the infirmary a few minutes later, and Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. He just assumed that she must be in her office and walked towards it while leaving Luna seated in one of the beds. He knocked on the door and Madam Pomfrey opened it to see a hurried looking Harry Potter standing there.

"Hello Mr. Potter, what can I do for you?" Madam Pomfrey asked him inquiringly.

"My friend Luna is sitting on one of the beds…and apparently she's had her first… _lady problem_." He implied the meaning, while trying very not to blush and he had success.

Madam Pomfrey was a very experienced nurse and she has seen various cases but never had she come across a girl explaining her first lady problem to a boy first, than coming to her or sharing it with a friend. Poppy Pomfrey looked at the boy in front of her in a scrutinising manner and she found no deceit, so she nodded to the boy giving him a surprised look.

"It seems that her father failed to mention about _it_ to her and warn her, she wanted advice from me and I honestly don't think that I'm the right person to explain it to her. Hence I was thinking if you'd be willing to clarify her doubts for her…" He left the sentence incomplete and the nurse nodded.

"It was a good thing that you thought of this rationally, Mr. Potter. Thank you for bringing her here. And besides that's why I'm here for, isn't it?" She replied and asked at the same time and with that she turned to move towards Luna while he excused himself, but not before giving Luna a big brotherly smile.

With that he walked towards the Champions' chamber and he reached inside it and noticed a few people there. Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime, Crouch Sr, Ollivander, Bagman, Skeeter and her unkempt photographer were all there. The three heads of schools and Bagman were all talking among themselves while Ollivander stood a little separately. Rita Skeeter was asking questions to Krum about the tournament and was getting a few short replies, whereas Krum looked disinterested at best.

Just as he walked in Bagman greeted him, "Mr. Potter, very nice of you to join us. We were expecting you; we can't start the wand weighing without you here, can we Mr. Potter?"

"Wand Weighing?" He asked questioningly, while feigning ignorance to keep up his act.

"We have to check if your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead." Bagman explained to him briefly.

"Before we go into that…, the Daily prophet needs a photo article on the Triwizard tournament and they have sent Miss Skeeter for it." Bagman said it in a way that sounded like it was a forewarning told in an almost exasperated tone.

Before they could even respond to Mr. Bagman's announcement, they were all ushered off by the photographer named Bozo and were made to remain in a specific poses. Fleur was made to sit stylishly on a chair while with him, Cedric and Krum standing in a row just behind the chair where he stood in between Cedric and Krum. The light bulb flashed and the picture was taken, and then after that the photographer took several pictures of each of them separately.

And just as the last photograph was taken a blonde haired woman appeared behind the flash set in elaborate and with curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jewelled spectacles studded with rhinestones, and had thick fingers ending in two-inch nails, painted crimson. Her blonde curls were curiously rigid, suggesting it was styled with the magical equivalent of hairspray. In addition, she had pencilled-on eyebrows and three gold teeth, as well as large, masculine hands. Her bright scarlet painted fingernails and toenails were usually likened to claws or talons. She wore a magenta-coloured robes, but with a strange light red leather with maroon furs at the collar and sleeves.

"Hello, I'm Rita Skeeter! I write for the Daily Prophet. But, of course, you know that, don't you? It's you we don't know. You're the juicy news. What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks? What mysteries do the muscles mask? Does courage lie beneath those curls? In short, what makes a champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my avid readers." Rita made her entrance with a speech which obviously sounded rather well-rehearsed and he remembered her speech from last time, without a word out of place.

"We'll start with the youngest, lovely…" She said and caught hold of his right hand and dragged him, whereas he pried himself from her grip. And during the process of prying off he pushed a certain pressure point in her left arm and at the exact moment he used his physical contact and Legilimency on her to place a 'mind-memory charm' in the deep of her mind.

"I'm not giving you an interview, lady. Just because you're from the 'prophet' doesn't mean that you can just drag me around and quiz me without asking me." He said hastily and walked away to his colleagues not bothering to look back.

If he had looked back he would have noticed Rita's pointed look which meant that she was going to become very bothersome in the near future, but even then he wouldn't have been worried. The 'mind-memory charm' he placed on her will start affecting her in a few hours and she wouldn't even notice it happening. After that whenever she starts thinking something false to accuse him or the people he care about with, then all of her bad memories would resurface again reminding her of her embarrassments and humiliations and with time it will become strong enough to trigger a panic attack. Eventually this will give him the necessary protection from Rita Skeeter's idiocy for a certain time period. He developed this particularly complicated technique of mental manipulation through constant efforts and experimentation, which he began developing during his first year.

With that Rita Skeeter turned towards the other champions for an exclusive, and got an interview from Krum, but Fleur and Cedric followed his example and refused to give an interview thinking that he had a sound logic for why he refused. They didn't ask him why, so he didn't bother with offering them an explanation, but he was fairly surprised by Fleur's choice to follow him because of the simple fact that she was here for glory, fame and reputation. What he didn't know was that Fleur actually inquired about him to Ravenclaw students and got an opinion of him being both brilliant and wise, and hence the reason for why she chose Harry's logic.

Once Rita was finished she took a seat in the corner to take notes on the 'Wand Weighing Ceremony'. Meanwhile every judge with the exception of Dumbledore took a seat to watch. "May I introduce Mr Ollivander?" Dumbledore moved forward and stood in the free space began out loud getting the attention of everyone. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Just as Dumbledore finished, Ollivander stepped forward to the empty space in the middle of the room and said, "Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first?"

Fleur took a step forward and handed the wand-maker her wand, Ollivander took the wand and inspected it in his hand and began giving his assessment. "Yes, nine and a half inches... inflexible...Rosewood...and containing...dear me."

Fleur replied immediately, "An 'air from ze 'ead of a Veela. One of my grandmuzzer's…"

Ollivander cast an 'Orchideous spell' and there was a bouquet of flowers in front of him and then he cast an 'Avis spell' and immediately there were some sparrows, one of which sat on the bouquet and then he banished them effortlessly.

"Yes…, yes, I've never used Veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands…however, to each his own, and if this suits you… Very well, it's in fine working order." Ollivander spoke and handed Fleur's wand to her.

"Mr. Diggory, let's have your wand next." Ollivander asked and Cedric handed his wand to the wand-maker.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it? Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches...ash...pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night." Cedric replied with a hint of pride in his expression.

Ollivander sent a golden spark and he said, "It's in fine working condition, Mr. Diggory."

"Mr. Krum, if you please." Ollivander asked and Viktor gave his wand to the wandmaker and Ollivander twirled it and checked it for a few minutes before speaking. "Hmm…this is Gregorovitch's creation unless I'm not mistaken?" When Viktor gave a nod of affirmation Ollivander continued, "A fine wand-maker he is, though his style is never quite what I would prefer…however…"

"Yes…hornbeam and dragon heartstring…rather thicker than usual…quite rigid…ten and a quarter inches…Avis." Ollivander assessed the wand and casted a spell which summoned some small birds and then he banished them again and gave back the wand and continued, "Good!"

"Which leaves us…, Mr. Potter?" Ollivander spoke and expected him to give the wand and he fluidly flexed his wrist and drew his wand out and then he slowly untied the rubber thread from the wand's handle and then he passed his wand to the wand-maker.

"Holly…phoenix feather…nice and supple…eleven inches…, it seems your wand core and wand wood has finally chosen to work together in order to please you, Mr. Potter. I was becoming rather worried as another wand wouldn't have suited you any better. And this wand has become rather possessive of you, Mr. Potter!" Ollivander assessed his wand and then conversed with him casually.

"Yes, it has…" He replied to with a smile and a slight nod.

But when Ollivander tried to cast a spell he couldn't, because the wand started to shake violently while still in the wand-maker's hand and it stopped after a brief moment. He was able to cast a 'fire-making spell' and light a candle, but he was able to feel the wand not responding to his magic. Ollivander was startled by the wand's reaction, because normally a wand will always keep its chosen master and its maker in an equal level of status. But very rarely a wand would share a bond so strong that it would prefer to be in the hands of its master over its maker. And when that happens, the wand will only work in the hands of its master and not in anyone else's hands. This also affects the next user, because even if the wand is won over by another wizard it won't function as efficiently for its new master like it did to its previous master, but he has only seen it in the cases of elderly wizards who has had years of shared experiences to build such a bond. It was a natural precedent but nonetheless a very rare one, Harry Potter having such a bond with a wand that was previously uncooperative was something he never would've dreamed off. He assumed that it must be the presence of another wand which he was sure that was actively being used by Harry, to cause such an interesting development, but he also knew not to mention the 'other wand's' existence out loud. Hence he was wise enough to keep that little truth to himself.

"Mr. Potter, I wouldn't recommend lending your wand to anyone for anything, ever. If this wand has chosen to be in the hands of you rather than with its creator, then you treat it carefully and with respect. Well, it's in fine working order…" Ollivander concluded his assessment; if the other occupants of the room were intrigued by Harry's wand's reaction and Ollivander's strange conversation with Harry, then they chose to be civil about it.

The only reason Harry wanted the 'Blackthorn wand' was to match 'Elder wand' in terms of efficiency. He thought of that particular idea when he was in his first year and back then he compared his magical growth and concluded that he would never be magically ready to duel Voldemort by his seventh year, where the megalomaniac would be combating against him with the elder wand. But after the 'blood-adoption', an event which he honestly didn't anticipate, his magical maturity was sped up to a phenomenal level which made a huge difference and now he had more than enough time to train and increase the size and strength of his magical core. Now he was confident that he can reach to a level to match Voldemort and win if he is careful enough and conservative of his own magic during the duel, and that kind of odds were more than what he ever had in life, and it was more than enough for him to ensure victory.

Every witch or wizard after reaching magical maturity and attaining stability over one's magic at seventeen, then they have the ability to increase the size and strength of his/her magical core by training until they reach forty. And after that the acquired magical abilities will remain constant for another sixty years or so with only negligibly small increases in magic with experience, but after that, the magical state of a person will keep deteriorating until death. Voldemort has trained for years and mastered many arts and he has enough experience to win nine out of ten top wizards/witches in the entire world. And back then he speculated that he needed a few advantages to win, hence the creation of his Blackthorn wand, but now the use of the wand has been substantially reduced. Still, he by no means will dispose of it, just because of the fact that it would give him 'plausible deniability' in many impending scenarios of the future.

Once the wands of all the champions were evaluated and the wand weighing ceremony was officially over. They were all dismissed and they all went their separate ways, while he went to find his girlfriend Hermione Granger, because he had 'someone' following him.

* * *

 _ **Room of Requirements-**_

Harry was walking to the seventh floor via a rarely used corridor in the fifth floor. He informed Hermione of his plan a little while ago using the 'Galleon' which they normally use to indicate the time and venue of their study sessions. During the commission of the Galleons, Hermione had insisted that they build in a safety feature in them, in order to contact specific people when needed rather than contacting everyone at the same time, as it turns out she was right.

He walked to the isolated corridor where found his brown haired girlfriend standing there still in her school robes and with a few books in hand and that surprised him since the classes were over a little while ago, she was standing and tapping her right foot impatiently. He walked towards her giving a knowing smile which he did to infuriate her and it worked beautifully. He expected an irritated pout from her, but instead he got a tense stare.

She called to him when he was still at a considerable distance away, "Harry, why did you call me, I was in the middle of a brainstorming session?" She asked clearly annoyed by her boyfriend.

He knew he had to do something, hence he kept walking closer and closer until he was just inches away from her and he slowly snaked his arms around her and kissed her passionately. He felt all her tension and stress that were looming over her mind; he broke the kiss but didn't move away, he kept standing close to her feeling her every breath as she was exhaling. She became a little more relaxed as she experienced a hot kiss and a tender touch, which she really needed. With that he moved away and gently removed her heavy shoulder bag from her shoulder and he wore it, and then he slowly tugged off the books from her hands and held it. And when he was sure that she was free, he caught her right hand with his left and intertwined their fingers and then he slowly started walking towards the 'room' all the while softly dragging her with him.

Meanwhile a small beetle wearing a pair of glasses was flying merrily behind the young couple; Rita Skeeter was at the verge of transforming back into her human form and jumping in joy. She didn't like Harry Potter, because the boy infuriated her by making some rather rude and implying comments regarding her name and the prophet's. Now she knew about Potter's secret love life and soon she will be essentially abusing this piece of information to the point of making Harry Potter to literally beg her to stop. Rita kept following the couple until they reached an empty wall on the seventh floor and just when she was about to wonder what was so special about this particular wall, a huge metal door appeared out of nowhere and her targets opened it went inside. She was now even more intrigued and excited by this development, and now she was sure that the young teenagers were about to be involved in something inappropriate for their age, something she could easily exploit. Hence after thinking for a few seconds Rita decided to get a closer look at the intimacy of their relationship, so she sneaked in just as Harry was closing the door.

The room Harry wished for was a small bedroom with a table and a few accessories. He dropped the shoulder bag on the ground and placed the books on a nearby table and walked to Hermione who was now grinning happily at what was going to happen next. He slowly wrapped both of his arms around her hips and lifted her almost a foot up in the air. She caught hold the back of his neck for a better grip and bent down her head and slightly brushed her lips onto his. He walked towards the bed and slowly sat her, but then he stopped abruptly. He looked sideways and watched as the small beetle landed on the edge of the table and immediately he flexed his right wrist and drew the wand. He pointed it at the beetle and cast the 'Homorphus charm' on the beetle, the beetle transformed into the woman he disliked so much.

"Stupefy…" He spoke casually and casted the spell on the shell-shocked woman, which struck Skeeter down unconscious.

Hermione gave her boyfriend an annoyed look because of the sudden stop of action, which she really needed to relax, but he gave her a disappointed but pleading pout. Seeing her boyfriend's pout she sighed softly and gave him a look which conveyed him the message _'finish your work soon and come back to bed'_ and he mentally replied her with a, _'yes ma'am'_.

They both simultaneously spun their heads to stare at the downed form of the Animagi-witch. "We should read her mind and learn about her past illegal exploits. And we should also use this opportunity to study about the methods she used to become an Animagus." Hermione said out loud and he nodded in agreement with her statement, not wanting to refute anything his girlfriend said and make her even more irritable than she already was. She took a seat on the bed and waited for him to begin.

And when he didn't start, she gave him a look which said 'begin', so he drew his wand and said, "Legilimens." For the next minute he searched every corner of Skeeter's memory synapses and what he found surprised him.

He stopped and he took a deep breath and looked at Hermione with a smile. He sat beside her and said, "You won't believe what I found in her mind. She is a complete fraud, even her name isn't real."

"What's her real name?" Hermione asked in an almost interested tone, with her previous annoyance slowly disappearing.

"Leanne Selwyn, that's her real name, she is the unofficial daughter of the head of Selwyn family, Edgar Selwyn and a squib maid who once worked for them. Apparently Mr. Edgar Selwyn had an affair and as a result Skeeter here was born, Mr. Selwyn sacked her mother but gave her mother a house and a small fortune to keep them from causing any trouble. He was the one who funded Skeeter during her Hogwarts years until she became too bothersome and costly for him to keep her existence hidden. She went by the name 'Leanne Thompson' during school taking her mother's maiden name and she was in Slytherin, being a muggleborn in public eye while being sorted into Slytherin made her life very difficult. Living her life with a constantly drunken mother until her mother's death without the interference of a father in her life and then suffering in Slytherin house all her school years made her a sadist, but the knowledge of knowing that she is a half-blood pushed her to aspire for the pureblood status. She never finished school, she dropped out just after her O.W.L.S, because studies weren't her area of expertise and also because her father wasn't going to pay for her expenses anymore. Meanwhile she understood that she had a fair taste in street fashion in both the magical and muggle worlds and she was rather good at bargaining and negotiation, so she decided to put her skills to use. Living her entire childhood as a no one, led her to crave for fame and recognition and she hated her father, so she decided that she wanted to be a journalist to expose criminals like her father. She fashioned herself a fancy name by adopting the name of a character from a Spanish story book 'Rita', and then she took the maiden name of her maternal grandmother 'Skeeter', hence the name 'Rita Skeeter'. When she started out she had ethics but soon she forsook them all, as she wasn't climbing up high enough in her career and she was very ambitious. Eventually over the years, one circumstance led to another and she became this lying devious Animagi witch that we now know off." He explained about Skeeter's life to his girlfriend eagerly.

"When did she become an Animagi then?" Hermione asked logically and a little curiously.

"Good question. You see Hermione, from the day she learned about Animagi transformations in school she fancied the idea of having such a dexterous ability. She started training during her third year at school and over a year of training later she found out that her inner animal form would be some form of insect. She loved gossiping about many things during her school years; hence the idea of spying on her fellow schoolmates who were also the heirs of prominent families and learning of their secrets was a fetish of sorts for her. And being an unregistered Animagi in the form of an insect would have satisfied her desires immensely, and it would have simplified the process of spying. But unfortunately she couldn't become an Animagi before she left school, since she didn't know how to continue with the training; therefore she stole from her father's personal libraries and extorted quite a lot of money from him by blackmail after she dropped out of Hogwarts. For the next three years she trained in her Animagi transformation, meanwhile seducing wealthy men who had a position in the ministry. Once she became an Animagus, she used the money she extorted from her father to buy herself an identity where she chose the name Rita Skeeter and created a false history for herself. After that she had a name and basis to build life, so she blackmailed a few married men who she previously seduced, who were key members in the ministry in order to get a job at the Prophet. And merely a year after she got the job, her father died and seeing that she was forever free from the one person, who knew the whole truth, she began her _activities_. She started writing false stories about many influential people with pertinent information which she acquires by spying on them using her Animagi ability." He explained the details of her change into the hideous woman that she was now.

"Harry, what did you learn about the process of Animagi transformation?" She asked intrigued by the process.

"I'm glad you asked, I compared the information I gathered from both Sirius and Skeeter and I've come to this conclusion, totally there are four stages of the transformation. The first stage is to identify your inner animal form by meditating and it's not about just finding what your animal will be like, it's more like preparing your mind for the process. Second stage is the physical preparation; Sirius and my dad did it by holding a piece of enchanted 'Mandrake' leaf in their mouths for a whole month, but Skeeter did it by taking a potion made out of Mandrake leaves on a regular basis every week until she was physically ready. The potion itself isn't very difficult to brew; you just need the proper ingredients of good quality to brew them." He was cut off by Hermione.

"Well the potion sounds good, it's a much better way than holding a leaf in your mouth for a month." Hermione exclaimed a little sickened by the process and he smiled at her.

"The third stage is self-transfiguration; you need to transfigure parts of your body into your animal counterparts, so to get used to the change. Sirius, Pettigrew and my dad did it under the supervision of Remus who did the transfiguration for them so to speed up the process, while for Skeeter it took her a long time, since she was alone and she had to keep the process slow. Finally the last stage is to self-transfiguring yourself without using a wand or an incantation. And it takes a particularly long time to do that, since even both Skeeter and the 'marauders' had trouble with it." He finished his detailed explanation.

Hermione looked thoughtful, but when she glanced at Skeeter she noticed that the horrid woman was stirring from unconsciousness, so she stupefied her again.

"Honey, I've thought of this a lot and I've come to a conclusion. Harry, I don't see the use in learning to become an Animagus. These Animagus transformations, where will we use them in the real world; there are very few applications for it? The idea doesn't really appeal to me. Spending a lot of time to learn it, and I'm almost sure that I would never use them anywhere in my career. Do you think I should train in the art?" His girlfriend asked him as she was confused and reluctantly, she wanted to train as it fascinated her and her boyfriend was going to train in it who will be disappointed by her decision, but she also couldn't pretend not to see the uselessness of the art.

"Mione, I love the idea of training with you on this, but whether you want to train or not are entirely upto you and I will be fine with whatever you choose to do. I'm going to train to become an Animagi and I'm only going to start next year, because I already have a difficult year at hand and I need to be undistracted and completely focused. And Mione I'm going to train in this art as this will help me immensely in my career as an 'Investigative Auror' in the future." He said it in a way of being supportive of Hermione's choice and he also made it clear that he was going to train in them.

"Thank you Harry, you don't know how much of a load you've taken off my heart. I was afraid that you won't approve of my choice." She told him of her worries.

"So now, can we get to what we were doing earlier…?" She closed in on her boyfriend and circled her arms around his midsection and asked in a whispering yet husky tone that almost made him lose control of himself.

"We can, but before that let me take care Skeeter here and dispose of her. When I'm back we can continue on with what we were about to do." He gave a quick peck on her lips and turned towards Skeeter and erased her memory of specific events and then he levitated Skeeter out of the 'room' to a third floor corridor and stuffed her in a broom cupboard and walked away with a smile.

He walked into back the room with a smug smile, seeing his smile she asked with a smile, "What do you do with her?"

"This and that…., I stuffed her in a broom cupboard." He replied the last few words hurriedly with a hilarious chuckle.

"I feel a little bad for her, her life story shows that people change with time. It must've been hard for her all those years at school and at home." Hermione sympathised a little and he understood her sense of guilt.

"There is nothing for you to be guilty of, for the reason that she deserved what she got, and she must've understood that writing false and degrading stories about influential people always has a consequence. And just because her early life was rough doesn't mean that she has to make everyone else's harder, does it?" He justified what they did to the reporter and comforted his little gloomy girlfriend.

His beautiful girlfriend smiled but he could see that she was thinking of her own misgivings, so he decided to distract her, "Well then let me put it to you this way… We won't be having any trouble from Rita Skeeter for a while, at least until the end of the second task."

"Why just till the end of the second task, Harry?" She asked curiously.

"Because, I think Skeeter must write the article about me being dangerous. That article actually changed a lot of peoples' minds and thoughts about me last time and it also influenced the smear campaign. And this time I'm hoping that Skeeter's article will instil doubt in the minds of the general populace. Hence I have designed the mind-memory charm in a way, so that it will stop influencing her after the second task." He explained his logic, but Hermione on the other hand looked sceptical about his plan.

"One article won't change the minds of all the people, Harry." She spoke in a drawling tone.

"Of course it won't, and besides I don't want their minds changed…, I just want the article to instil doubts in their minds. That doubt will act as a distraction, I and my stories will be the distraction, while Voldemort will use it to prepare his army. Eventually Voldemort will come for the prophesy and we'll make sure that his resurgence will come to light, and this time the ministry will fall again, but the cost of lives will be very less comparing to that of last time. Because even with the article, most of the people will not think of me as dangerous, but at the same time it will undoubtedly keep them distracted. But this time without Sirius being the scapegoat for the mass crimes which will be committed by Voldemort and his men, it will be under investigation and it will keep the ministry vigil. And when Voldemort does take over the ministry, he will acquire that sense of achievement, but obviously he won't be satisfied due to his tenacity and ambition. And trust me when I say this, within a month's time his sense of achievement will defeat him and it will cost him his power. And that will be my advantage…" He explained to her seriously.

"Why do you need such an advantage, when we could have many other ways to have an edge over Riddle? And besides you'll be gambling with the lives of many innocent people." She spoke to him sombrely as she never understood Harry's dangerous plan to save the world.

"This is a war, Hermione. Trying to win a war before it even begins always costs lives, every time, and sometimes you lose way too much than what you can gamble with. Anyway I need every advantage I can get, Riddle has decades of experience than me and I won't even be at my prime when I'm seventeen." He spoke in a monotone, but when he noticed Hermione's uncertain look he continued.

"Never underestimate psychological warfare, Mione, a small change in emotion can be a huge difference in our line of work. The moment Voldemort gets the sense of achievement he will develop overconfidence and he will lose his perseverance, and the important thing is…, he won't even recognize it happening. Until he takes over the ministry, he will have nothing to lose and everything to gain, but the moment he takes over, he has something to lose and that's when an unshakable fear will grip onto him. A little fear can be very effective as it will keep him unfocused; a lot of fear can be very dangerous as it will make him cautious, and I want Voldemort to fear me just a little and that's what will lead me to victory. And unlike the other times he won't be able to shake away this fear, as he has spent his entire life to overthrow the ministry and take over, so that's something he can't just simply ignore." He explained his plan to destabilize Voldemort's mind.

"But honey, won't it make Voldemort to fight harder especially if he something to lose? And Harry, how are you so sure about this…?" Hermione asked logically.

"No, that theory doesn't apply to megalomaniacs like Riddle, that's something that will only affect people who has experienced a tender desire. I'm sure about this, as I've experienced this first hand. I published my first book just after eighteen months of being in the field. But after that, my consecutive books and achievements came at a much slower and sedated pace, because I lost my motivation and perseverance after my first bestseller and then I did what I did out of mere moral obligation than anything else, since I've already proven everyone wrong. However I am confident about my plan, as I've completely profiled Voldemort's character and his way of thinking by studying his methods and ideologies for a decade." He replied causally.

"Harry, I think you're being overoptimistic about your plan. We need to be a little more cautious with our planning and consider developing a few more contingency plans, just in case…" She spoke seriously with a slight frown.

"I agree, we need to be careful and cautious regarding what we do, and that's why I need you, my love. You're the person I trust the most and who has the ability to keep me in line and focused on topic." He told her with a smile and gave her a smile kiss as assurance. His gesture made Hermione smile, since it was true that their combination was very effective she allowed herself to smile a little at her boyfriend's persuasive talk.

"So are we going to keep talking about psychic warfare…, or are we going to continue on with what we were about to do earlier…?" He asked feigning a husky tone that she used on him earlier.

She smiled at him giving a mischievous stare, "Mister Potter is feisty…, I'm about to have a bath care to join me?" She asked and walked towards the bathroom and he quickly followed behind her, "You don't need to ask me twice."

* * *

 _ **Hogsmeade Weekend (November 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **)-**_

The first task was around the corner and he was preparing for his first visit to Hogsmeade this year. This time Neville and Luna were joining with them; this was Luna's very first Hogsmeade visit and she wanted to spend it with her friends and they had nothing better to do. They were all sitting in the carriage pulled by thestrals and they could all see that Luna was anxious to get to Hogsmeade.

Just as they reached Hogsmeade, Luna went towards the stores to explore, with Neville following just behind her. They both were surprised to see a side of Luna that they haven't witnessed before, the blonde haired girl was acting as if she was a child high on sugar. He explained to Hermione about the incident with Luna's girl problems and his girlfriend promised herself that she would help the sweet girl in any way possible. They accompanied Neville and Luna to 'Dogweed and Deathcap', in order to help them enchant a magical knapsack for them to carry Herbology materials safely. After that they both went to 'J. Pippin's Potions' to buy some potions that they would need to train for the tasks ahead and Neville and Luna happily accompanied them.

After that they all went to Honeydukes mostly to buy Luna some sweets, which they usually bought for her since she couldn't buy them herself. This time too he, Hermione and Neville all chipped in equally to buy her a bunch of costliest of toffees in the shop. After that they all went to the 'Three Broomsticks' to introduce Luna to Butterbeer and other beverages.

All four took a seat on a free table, he and Hermione sat beside eachother while Neville and Luna sat opposite to them, "We'll start with four Butterbeer here…!" He gave his order to Madam Rosmerta who took his orders with a smile.

"So Luna, is Hogsmeade like what you expected?" He asked to the happy girl who didn't answer him verbally, but nodded her head vigorously while literally vibrating in excitement.

For the next hour they spoke and laughed, and they even caused a scene when Neville fell down on the floor after laughing too hard. They tried Butterbeer, Mulled mead, Gillywater, Red-currant rum and Cherry syrup with soda and ice. They all had a great time during which he even forgot about the tournament and the impending tasks.

"Ye'h Harry, ove' here…" Hagrid called him and he turned to see Hagrid sitting with Moody and a few others and drinking.

Just as he walked to the lovable half-giant, Hagrid bent a little and whispered in his ears. Hagrid told him to meet near his cabin tonight at midnight and he nodded and gave a confused look to the giant just to give Crouch .Jr the expected reaction. On his way back to the table he let Hermione inside his head by lowering his Occulumency shield for her and she learned what he heard from Hagrid and gave a knowing smile at him.

A little while later they left the Inn, he and Hermione separated from Neville and Luna who were going back to the castle while they proceeded towards the Hogsmeade station, "I can't believe that the station is empty. This should be the perfect place for couples to spend some private time…"

"You know how rarely wizards use common sense Harry, I'm not really surprised." Hermione replied with a warm smile. They were both walking hand in hand and Hermione was latched to his right arm, as they were sharing the warmth against the cold November winds.

"Well it's good for us that they haven't thought of this, isn't it?" He asked her with a tiny grin.

"Right you are Harry, now kiss me…" He did as ordered by the love of his life. Meanwhile both the heroes were oblivious to the stares of Tracey and Daphne who had followed the couple all the way to the Hogsmeade station.

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took me quite a while to update. I've been a little busy. My dentist finally agreed that my gums were strong enough for 'implant' with setting my tooth after the accident; they have implanted five of my teeth and used their support to place the other four. Finally, I can confidently speak in public again, so I've been enjoying my conversations recently. Sorry for the delay, but I just couldn't help it.**_

 _ **Q/A: Harry didn't speak his name as 'Harrison' during the oath, because he doesn't know that Dumbledore suspects his hidden hand in the security given to his family vaults, hence he's still being cautious. According to me, Snape is the worst character in the entire Harry Potter series just behind Dumbledore and Voldemort, and there's no way I'm going to portray him as good, I thought I made it clear before? And there is a reason why Harry hasn't investigated into Snape's background just yet, but eventually he will, so wait for the next few years of schooling to find out why. There are a lot of other good stories with Snape being portrayed as the good guy, please read it and quench your expectations there. And sorry people, Harry and Krum won't fight outright for Hermione, but it will get better I promise you that. I've wrote all the previous chapters in a slightly conflicting thought process because I wanted to, there is a reason for why Hermione and Harry have conflicting thoughts about many things and it will soon come to light, so please be patient. And before you ask I wanted Harry and Luna to develop a sibling relationship, like an overprotective brother who cares for his younger sister, because I always thought of Luna as a very bright character with a lot of potential, whose character wasn't developed much just like Fleur and that's why I brought in that scene.**_

 _ **My previous chapters are currently under severe revision, so bear with the editing. And people do you know how to get a Beta and what the procedure is and what should I do to get my stories checked. And I also want to know if this beta reader will edit the stories completely to his/her liking or just correct the chapters individually?**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable and realistic unlike many other stories I've read before, which I found either unbelievable or over-exaggerated and most likely discontinued. For example like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. There will be exaggeration, but not over-exaggeration and apart from that there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **Forbidden Forest (Hagrid's Hut)-**_

It was twelve o'clock at night, Harry and Hermione both sneaked out of the castle and were walking towards Hagrid's hut. Hermione was wearing the invisibility cape/cloak something that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, which he gifted to her last year. Hagrid had asked him to come alone, but Hermione insisted that she came along and he didn't and couldn't refuse her wish. This was just a cover for them to know about the first task, so to warn Cedric about it and gain an ally. Hopefully this time he wouldn't have to get past the Horntail and instead he would get a less aggressive dragon, he hoped to himself.

Lost in thought he almost missed Hermione knocking on the door and hiding immediately from Hagrid under the safety of the cape. "Harry, glad you' made it…" Hagrid opened the door and he looked like he was _supposedly_ dressed for a date according to the half-giant. The man's hair was pressed down by what seemed like grease and had a huge flower pinned to the man's coat near the chest pocket.

Hagrid stepped out of the hut and proceeded towards the forest and he followed the man silently, and when they reached a certain distance they stopped. "Hide quickly, bu' keep followin' me." Hagrid instructed and he immediately did as told. He disillusioned himself under a 'disillusionment charm' and went behind the trees and hid himself and mere minutes later Hermione joined him behind the trees.

They heard footsteps and turned to see Madam Maxime walking towards Hagrid and asked, "Ah, 'Agrid…it is time?"

"Bong-sewer!" Hagrid said and held out his hand which the Beauxbatons headmistress took and with that Hagrid led them all deep into the forest.

"Wair are you taking me, 'Agrid?" Madam Maxime asked inquisitively.

"Yeh'll enjoy this…" Hagrid said with a small laugh in his gruff tone. "Worth seein', trust me. On'y don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know…"

"Of course not…" Maxime replied to her partner.

They followed behind the two half-giants hiding in the shadows, they kept walking and from a certain distance onwards they heard the increasing decibels of the roars and shouts of dragons and men respectively. Both the half-giants stopped and they did so to, they both decided to take a peek since they knew what to expect. Just as they sneaked a peek they saw a type of dragons that they didn't expect to see.

"Harry, are they…?" Hermione whisperingly began and was going to ask, but he cut her off and replied in the same whisper, "Peruvian Vipertooth! And there are three of them, why?"

"For the task, of course…" Hermione replied but in a hesitant and confused tone.

"But…" He began and this time she cut him off and continued, "…why three, of a single type of dragon? And why _only_ three when there are four champions?" She asked confused by the logic and he nodded in agreement still viewing into the camp.

Meanwhile a redheaded man who awfully looked like another Weasley appeared out of nowhere and proceeded towards Hagrid, "They're beautiful Charlie." Hagrid said to the redheaded man, while taking a few steps forward, while gazing at the beasts longingly.

"Keep back there, Hagrid! They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know. I've seen the Horntail do forty." Charlie Weasley warned the animal loving half-giant.

"Do they gotta fight'm?" Hagrid asked the Dragon handler curiously.

"I don't know, Hagrid. They haven't told us anything; the ministry contacted us all of a sudden and asked us to transport the dragons to this location. But I do hope that they don't have to fight these dragons…, and besides I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing that one...Its back end's as dangerous as its front." Charlie commented on the danger of the task ahead.

"Horntail…? So they have brought a Horntail?" He whispered to his girlfriend questioningly after hearing the conversation between Hagrid and Charlie.

"I don't understand Harry, why three Peruvian Vipertooths and one Horntail? I don't see the logic in that kind of pairing." Hermione voiced her concern to him.

"Me neither. It doesn't make any sense. Why bring three dragons of the same species and one dragon of a different species? And besides Vipertooths are pack…" He stopped mid-sentence as realisation hit him and he simultaneously had an epiphany.

He suddenly turned around and walked facing away from the dragon camp and Hermione followed behind him automatically, since it was obvious to her that her boyfriend has found something concerning the dragons. She caught up to him and asked, "Harry, where are we going?"

"I've got a hunch and we can confirm it if we go half a kilometre to the west..!" He replied briefly.

"Are you mad? We're going near the Acromantula colony and it's twelve at night. And why do we need to go there now anyway?" Hermione asked hurriedly finding it difficult to walk with her cape swaying to every wind and also annoyed by the notion of fighting huge spiders for their life in the middle of the night.

"Harry, give me one good reason for why this is necessary?" She asked obviously scared about the possibility of fighting against an Acromantula.

"I can give you three…" He began and that got her curious.

"One, this is winter season, so the Acromantulas only hunt from 2 o'clock at night till the first light and the rest of the day is for hibernation. Two, a dragon camp consisting of at least four dragons is situated less than a kilometre away, so Acromantulas won't come out at any cost, even for hunting. Dragons are natural predators and Acromantulas can sense such predators if they are in a certain proximity to the colony. And three, there is a tall heap of rocks half a kilometre in that direction and atop that we can see the entire camp easily." He explained his plan, but she was more interested in something he mentioned in between his explanation.

"'At least four dragons…?'" She asked curiously and he smiled at her perceptive question.

"That's my hunch, Hermione. Peruvian Vipertooths are pack hunters, they have coordinated attack patterns and that's how they hunt large preys. And their maximum height is fifteen feet and their fires can be easily bypassed, because its fire isn't wide or large and doesn't have much temperature compared to any other dragons' flame burst. Even if a Vipertooth is extremely fast and very poisonous, the poison can only be contracted if it bites. The speed of the dragon is the most dangerous and probably the most problematic ability it has and even then it's not much of a threat. And most of all they can be easily stunned if the spell has enough power, and even if they don't, then five or six well placed stunners will immobilise it for a while. Think about it, compared to a Horntail how is _one_ Vipertooth a fair competition?" He explained his hunch and asked a logical question to which she answered immediately.

"So…all three of them are for one champion…?" She asked logically and it clicked in her mind. "And if the Horntail is for another champion, then there must at least be two other dragons in that camp." She came to the same logical conclusion that he did.

"Precisely…" He commented on her correct answer and they both smiled at eachother.

For the next ten minutes they walked as fast as they can and they reached their destination. Once there they climbed atop the heap of mounted rocks and as they reached the top, they could clearly see the entire dragon camp. They carefully watched everything that was happening in the camp and what they saw shocked them.

"Harry, is that a Ukrainian Ironbelly…, like the one we encountered in Gringotts?" He mutely nodded to her question, as he was still recovering from his shock.

"This one looks…" She began and they both finished simultaneously, "…bigger!"

"This one seems like it ranges from at least sixty to sixty-five feet in height. And look at the battle scars on its body…, I'm pretty sure this one wasn't bred in captivity; rather it looks like this one was captured in the wild, and by my guess it must be a minimum of eighty to ninety years old and technically it has only reached half of its lifespan. If it's a dragon that was captured from the wild, then it's safe to assume that it will be difficult to trick. I'm betting that, it can breathe fires of a temperature ranging from 3000 to 3500 degrees Fahrenheit and at that kind of heat a rock will melt like butter, whereas the human skin burns or most likely peels of at a mere 250 degrees. The only good thing about this dragon is that it can't fly fast, but still it'll be able to manoeuvre around the arena fairly easily." He added to the assessment in a distracted tone.

"What's the other dragon?" She asked to distract herself as she was a little shaken by his assessment, but her question turned out to be a mistake.

"That's a Romanian Longhorn. Another big and older dragon, an average young dragon of this particular breed usually sizes upto forty feet but this one too looks like it is fifty feet in height…, minimum. Look at the size of that thing, it's muscular and bulky and has immense strength in its legs and wings. Can you imagine the impact force it could generate with each hit? Judging by the size I guess it must weigh at least four maybe five tonnes and if it moved from a certain height even with a smallest of velocities, the damage it could create will be catastrophic. And furthermore this distinct breed of dragon prefers to impale its prey rather than to burn it. And this one is the least dangerous dragon among the four breeds." He commented on the danger of the creature in front of them.

Hearing her boyfriend's detailed summaries about the abilities of the dragons she was now worried, "Harry, you can handle them right, I mean you published studies and papers on dragons and closely worked with dragonologists last time?"

"I'm not sure." He said shortly, looking concerned about this unexpected change, "Back then, I was in the field for a very long time, I was undistracted and focused on my missions. Currently I'm not at my physical or magical maximum; I'm out of touch and out of form. To be honest, I don't know if I can win, maybe I can keep them immobilized for long enough and retrieve the egg."

"Harry, then you can use the 'summoning charm' to summon the firebolt just like last time and use the same strategy you used on the Horntail." She suggested hoping that it would work.

"Apart from the Horntail, that strategy won't work on any other dragon. You see Peruvian Vipertooth and Ukrainian Ironbelly are territorial in nature. They only become aggressive when someone or something threatens the integrity of their territory. And besides the Ironbelly is too slow, so if I use the firebolt then I'll outrun it quickly and it'll go back to its nest and if I slow down it'll figure out that I'm trying to lure it out of its nest and hence the failure of my plan. Meanwhile the Peruvian Vipertooth is sleekly flawed; they don't have the wingspan to counteract the effects of the immensely strong tail winds high up in the air. And they are extremely fast while just above the surface and hence all three will work together and definitely box me in, if I fly low. Whereas the Longhorn is a bulky, heavy and a lazy dragon, it won't chase after me even if I use the slowest of brooms. And above all that I have no intention of being chased by an angry Horntail in flight, where it has the most advantage.., again." He reasoned his own logic and chose to turn down the idea.

Hermione seeing his explanation slowly hugged his right arm tightly for both warmth and reassurance and he let her keep her head on his right shoulder, "Harry, what are we going to do?"

"I'll figure something out…" He rubbed her cheek with his left hand and smiled at her reassuringly and he picked her up bridal style and slowly climbed down the rocks.

"Harry, apart from the Horntail all the other dragons are different, and compared to last time the competition itself is tougher. Do you think the other tasks will have similar changes too?" Hermione asked him already suspecting the changes that their meddling with time has caused, while settling in comfortably in his arms.

"It's most probable to assume that the tasks have indeed changed." He agreed with his girlfriend's doubt.

"Do you really think so…?" She asked as Harry usually insisted that nothing will change.

"Yes, I do. Did you notice the dragons that were in the camp were all male? And it makes me wonder how male dragons would guard eggs?" He asked and she shook her head negatively and gave him a querying look to which he replied, "I don't know either…, Mione."

"Tasks may change, Harry, but I'm sure that you can ready yourself to handle them, you just need some out of the box ideas." She comforted him and eased his doubt and he nodded.

"So it seems like we have to plan for a Hungarian Horntail, a Ukrainian Ironbelly, a Romanian Longhorn and a pack of Peruvian Vipertooths." Hermione surmised and he looked at her and replied, "So it seems…"

"Let's go." He set her down once they were at the bottom of the rocks and then they both proceeded to walk towards the castle.

"What should we do now?" Hermione asked curiously, since if her guess was right then by now her boyfriend must have already formulated a schedule to prepare for the task.

"I don't know about us, but I need a shower and warm bed now…I'll think of all _this_ tomorrow." He said tiredly as it has been a long day.

"Would you mind terribly, if I join you?" She asked in a probing tone, as if she already knew his upcoming answer.

"I'd be a fool if I minded you joining me in shower…, so to the 'room' then?" He asked her huskily and in return she just shrugged her shoulders in a teasing way, and he smiled at his mischievous yet sexy girlfriend.

"To the _room_." He proclaimed and they both walked away to the castle to spend the night together.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning (Great Hall)-**_

It was Sunday morning and the great hall was almost empty only a few people sitting in some corners of the room and having some breakfast. Even most from the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons contingency were missing, apart from the few foreign students who were having a bite. The morning atmosphere was cold and soothing, hence the reason for the presence of a lax drowsiness in everyone. Harry and Hermione were talking about what they found last night and they also suspected that there might be a change in the tasks ahead. This was a development that they couldn't foresee, they both assumed that there might be changes in the events of this timeline, but he couldn't predict them for what it will exactly be, even with the information of knowing what they deliberately changed.

They both noticed Cedric entering the hall and they decided to wait, "When Cedric leaves after having his breakfast, I'll approach him and tell him what we found." He continued his conversation with Hermione, and when Cedric and his friends stood up and walked out of the hall, he too stood up to follow the seventh year.

"Don't give him too much information, Harry, maybe just enough for him to prepare for dragons in general." Hermione added and he agreed with her, because if he gives too much information then there was a high chance that it will portray him as committing foul play and with that he followed behind the seventh year champion.

He caught upto Cedric near the wooden bridge behind the school and called the older boy, "Cedric…!"

Cedric stopped and turned to look at his competition and was obviously surprised to see him, "Hi Harry."

"Can we talk for a few minutes?" He asked impassively and that didn't surprise Cedric or his friends. Immediately Cedric's friends whispered a few things into Cedric's ear, which he was able to hear due to his proximity and he didn't find it funny even if the seventh year champion chuckled at the idiots' suggestion. Cedric said to his friends to proceed on without him and that he will catch up with them soon. And then Cedric directed him to the side of the bridge to talk privately.

"What is it, Harry?" Cedric asked interested by Harry's request.

"Do you know what the first task is…?" He asked acting curious.

"No Harry, do you?" Cedric replied and questioned him.

"Yes." He replied in a deadpanned tone.

Seeing Cedric's difficulty to ask the next obvious question he made it easy for the seventh year boy and said, "Its Dragons…, each of us will have to face dragons separately."

"Are you sure?" Cedric asked immediately now alarmed by what he just heard.

"I saw them with my own eyes." He replied in an assuring and exasperated tone.

Cedric involuntarily gulped, "Do you know what types of dragons they were?" Cedric asked quickly to gain information about the dragons.

"I identified one of them, and it was a Hungarian Horntail." He replied in a little worried tone, and seeing the horrified look on Cedric's face he was sure that his work here was done.

"What about Krum and Fleur, do they know too?" Cedric asked interested to know about his competition.

"They know…, I'm sure Karkaroff and Madam Maxime has warned them about the level of threats they are going to face." He explained briefly.

With that he turned around and started walking towards the castle but he was briefly stopped by Cedric, "Thank you, Harry." To which he gave a short nod and he kept walking towards the castle with a small smile of accomplishment. Meanwhile an eye that once belonged to Alastor Moody was watching them closely and the disguised man who was watching them was surprised by the conversation that happened between the two Hogwarts champions.

* * *

 _ **First Task (November 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **) –**_

It was the day of the first task and the process for readying the champions was underway. It was early morning around six, Dumbledore and McGonagall entered the Gryffindor dorms and led Harry away, during which process they managed to wake up the whole bloody house. At the same time, such similar scenes were taking place in the Hufflepuff basement with Sprout and Moody, in the Beauxbatons carriage with Maxime and Crouch .Sr and in Durmstrang ship with Karkaroff and Bagman. All the champions were led away by the staffs to somewhere no one else in the school knew off.

The unexpected incident in the morning stirred the houses and raised a lot of excitement among the student-body and as a result by breakfast the whole school was abuzz with electricity in the air and the great hall itself was packed. They were all talking among themselves excitedly, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students were explaining to others of what they saw in their common rooms, and so were the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students.

What surprised the students even more was that the great hall itself was magically extended to be twice its previous size. In addition to that separate round tables and chairs were arranged after the Slytherin house's table for the dignitaries to dine. All the tables were occupied by various famous public and prominent figures, and they mostly ignored the students. Most of the British ministry employees were present at the tables, and so were the foreign wizards, dignitaries and ministry big shots from France, Bulgaria, South America and Russia too. And apart from that, most of the members of the ICW from almost all the countries were there too. The security both inside and outside the castle was quadrupled at best, as hit-wizards and aurors were stationed at every entrance and hallways.

Hermione was confused by all this, it was true that they both anticipated a few changes, but these many changes were phenomenal. Last time around Harry wasn't led from his dorm room that early in the morning or all these big shots weren't present either. But what she didn't take it into account was that, all the efforts she, Harry and the others took to outplay Dumbledore in his own game caused the aged man to develop a habit of questioning his own decisions again and again, due to the consistent failures in recent years. Dumbledore's small habit brought a tremendous change in the timeline that they frankly couldn't foresee.

Dumbledore being the 'Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards', had access to the inner workings of the ICW, and he gently influenced the decisions the coalition made. The century old headmaster arranged the help and oversight of the ICW members after heeding to Bagman's claims about how the ICW was doing very little to help. At first he refused to Bagman, saying that the ICW just selects the ministry that has the most suitable economy and resources for conducting such an event. But later he started pondering on his own words and kept questioning himself again and again. And he finally decided that the ICW must take an equal part in the tournament just as much as the ministry.

He mainly did this to reduce collateral damage, because of the obvious signs of Harry getting selected and Severus's information being about Riddle's unhealthy interest in the young boy, he could say that Voldemort's resurrection was close at hand. And if his plan to trap Riddle was to work, then he knew that Voldemort will be exposed and if people from an international background perceive whatever that was going to happen in the upcoming tasks, then Voldemort's chance at anonymity was reduced at best. And there was also the reason that he didn't like Bagman's ideas on the tasks, they were too blunt and less complicated, and that would make things difficult for Riddle to operate in the open. He knew that if he wanted to catch a snake, then sometimes he would need to tie the bait to a tree.

Since then, the tournament itself was overseen by both the ICW and the ministry equally; the ministry paid for the expenses and made the necessary material arrangements, while the ICW supplied them with skilled manpower, ideas and design. For this very reason, the preparations of the tournament were inclined to be quite grand and majestic, hence the massive efforts to make the tournament a huge success. The ICW took Bagman's ideas for the tasks and improved them accordingly due to the access to the resources they had at hand.

And both of our heroes forgot about the fact, that Harry handled the 'Basilisk threat' very quietly during his second year, which left Lucius Malfoy to still be one of the members of 'Hogwarts Board of Governors', as he wasn't thrown out by the other governors. On the other hand, Malfoy's situation was tight with Pettigrew's capture and the death eater attack on Quidditch finals, the DMLE was on high alert so they were actively monitoring everybody who has a record with accordance to the last war. He didn't want to waste such an opportunity to improve his background and so he too wanted to make this event very entertaining. He did it in order to discreetly meet a few of his foreign business liaisons without any trouble and also to make a few more contacts within the ICW, so to improve his own status. Hence he convinced Fudge to allow the 'ICW' to take an equal charge in the tournament and also influenced the ministry heads to allow notable wizards and witches from both foreign and domestic into the castle to witness the tasks. Meanwhile Fudge saw this as a way to increase his own popularity and fame and he agreed with Lucius mostly to present himself as a worthy big shot in the company of international wizards.

At the same time, the other Governors felt the need to station auror forces for security, because of the tasks' obvious level of danger, the presence of foreign wizards and due to Harry Potter's illegal entry into the tournament. They were all given details about Harry Potter's entry as a champion and about the subsequent interrogation. And they all wanted the person who entered the boy's name to be apprehended and punished accordingly. And with the presence of all the foreign wizards and witches, the ministry was forced to agree with the increased status of the tournament's grandeur and eminence, hence the reason for the grand preparations and the necessary security for the task.

Meanwhile Hermione noticed that among the hundred dignitaries, Sirius, Amelia and Remus were all present. Amelia was sitting with her ministry colleagues and having her breakfast and tea, meanwhile Sirius and Remus were sitting with a few South American dignitaries and were making conversation. Fleur Delacour's parents were present among the French officials who were all conversing with each other. Hermione was worried about the safety of her boyfriend, because many things were obviously changed in this timeline and Harry would be facing the unknown and that scared her.

In the meantime the students and dignitaries after having their breakfast got on the carriages and were taken to the highlands at the other edge of the forest, behind the school far towards the foothills of the mountains. The notable witches and wizards who arrived just in time for the task were all led to the arena behind the other guests. Just as the carriages passed by the forest, they could see the huge arena, as they entered they all noticed that the area itself was extended by magic, the arena viewed from the outside itself was gigantic, but on the interior the area looked bigger than five Quidditch pitches put together combined. The pitch itself was covered in a white satin cloth, which was suspended at the height of several feet in mid-air, the cloth covered the entire distance of the pitch, and this was done mostly to retain the surprise of the crowd. The pitch itself was big and long equivalent to four Quidditch pitches and around it was a stadium with enough seats to accommodate hundreds of people. Once everyone settled the tournament began right on time, as scheduled.

* * *

 _ **With the Champions-**_

Meanwhile Harry was just as confused as Hermione was, as none of this happened the last time, he too predicted some small changes, but this was unexpected. Today morning he was woken up from his restless sleep and was led away from the dorm towards a few selected rooms in the fifth floor, which are usually allocated to married couples who study together, in short they were family quarters. Apart from hearing about it, he has never seen these rooms in the fifth floor; it was as if they only appeared when the school needed to lodge families.

Each champion was given a single room and was instructed to freshen up and wear the given dress. They all did as told and wore the dresses that were prepared for them, his dress was an ash grey Quidditch style pants and a red with black styled woollen sport shirt and over that a thick red coat with his name stitched to the back in yellow. After dressing up they all met in a connecting room that was common for all the four rooms they used, and there they were served breakfast. He chose not to eat anything that would appear heavy, so he drank juice and was content with it, none of them talked, they just sat and ate and once they were finished they quietly waited for the task to begin. He noticed that all their dresses were almost similar in style just with a few differences in colour. Cedric's dress was a black pant with yellow shirt and a dark brown overcoat, while Krum's dress consisted of black pants and a black overcoat with a dark red shirt. And Fleur's outfit was completely white with just her coat being silver and all their coats had their respective names stitched on the back.

Quite a while after breakfast, all four champions were led to the entrance of the forbidden forest by Bagman, McGonagall and a few aurors. All the other judges who were Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime, Crouch .Sr and finally an ICW member and survival expert/trainer of the ministry's auror corps Antony Baker, all were already in the arena viewing the champions via the projectors. All judges were seated separately all around the stadium, three judges on either sides of the stadium spread throughout the length of the arena, in order to view and score efficiently. The images of all four champions were projected via various magically enhanced projectors with a continuously rotating film, on white screens kept in different parts of the arenas, so that the viewers could see and hear from the live images of the champions in action.

Harry, Krum, Fleur and Cedric were all standing behind a long white line drawn on the grass which they assumed to be the starting line. Krum was standing first, next to Krum stood Fleur and to Fleur's right he stood, and to his right stood Cedric. They were all standing at the edge of the pastures and at the beginning of the forest.

Bagman began, "Champions...! Four items are hidden in the deep of the forest. Your objective; is to retrieve one of this said items and reach the other edge of forest. This item and its properties will symbolize the difficulty and the danger of the task ahead… Good luck." Bagman finished reading the card in hand.

He knew how much of a difficult task it is to search for a hidden item in the forbidden forest, having searched for the 'Resurrection Stone' for three weeks until he found it. Just as he finished his train of thoughts he started paying his full attention. "Begin!" Bagman yelled and simultaneously McGonagall sent a red flare into the sky and they all took a running start into the forest.

As he was running, he turned to look at his left and he saw Fleur running beside him and he turned to look at his right he saw Cedric running a little ahead of him. He understood the need to hide from their sights, so he sped up and moved slightly towards the left and proceeded into the forest and disappeared into the deep.

* * *

 _ **In the Arena-**_

Bagman and McGonagall arrived in the arena via a portkey and took his spot as both the commentator and as the judge. "Our four champions have begun the quest to find the hidden item in the forest. The items they acquire are necessary to finish the task. But make no mistake the quest will not be easy, each champion must prove that they can think on their feet and must figure out the hints for themselves." Bagman announced and since the audience already heard what Bagman said to the champions they understood the task's parameters.

"But what the champions do not know is that there are ten paths in the forest that would lead to this side of the forest. And among that ten, six of them are decoys leaving only four paths which would lead to the arena. And even if one of those four routes are used once by a champion, then it will erase itself making it impossible for another one of the champions to use it again." Bagman explained to the viewers who looked in shock, but Bagman wasn't finished.

"And four paths to the arena itself are time dependent. The easiest and fastest path will bring the champion to the arena in fifty minutes, but the traps on that particular route are lethal. The next path will bring the champion to the arena in an hour and twenty minutes, but the traps are less dangerous than the first one. If one takes the third path, it will take the champion one and three quarters of hours to reach the arena and the traps are even less dangerous, while the one who takes final path will reach the arena in no less than two hours which is the longest of paths. The paths itself will not get them to the arena quickly; the champions themselves must move at their maximum and should not be held back by any of the traps. The final scores of the champions will reflect and depend on the respective paths they take, and each path has its respective time bonuses and decrements in terms of points." Bagman added while successfully shocking the students and further exciting the bigwigs who were already entertained.

Hermione for the moment was wondering about the use of the entire arena and of the use of the dragons brought from Romania, if the task itself was happening inside the forbidden forest. She idly wondered what must have triggered this drastic change in events. She realised that simply sitting and worrying about it won't help, so she decided to observe and learn anything she could from the other champions and the structure of the task itself.

* * *

 _ **With Harry-**_

Thirty minutes later his initial sprinting was reduced to nothing more than a mild jogging. As he was jogging he suddenly felt a chill that occupied the air, he looked around and noticed that the forest was a little dimmer than the previous areas he passed by. He looked up and noticed birds, hundreds maybe thousands of small blue birds sitting on trees and they were obscuring the sunlight that descended through the canopy of leaves.

He had a mild suspicion that going any further may trigger some form of defence mechanism and that he would be in trouble. He took a step back, but unknowingly he stepped on the twig and it broke and the resulting din echoed through the forest and instantly the birds started screeching. All the birds swooped down on him and attacked him all at once, they were trying to peck and scratch all the while screeching in a high pitched noise that made his head hurt.

He had enough of this, he immediately conjured a pair of earmuffs and he wore it, which protected him from the annoying noise, he pointed his wand outwards at the birds and then said, "Fumos…" He produced a defensive cloud of dark grey smoke and he cast them in all the directions and he successfully repelled all the birds, during which he sprinted forward and away from the territory of birds.

* * *

 _ **In the Arena-**_

Meanwhile back at the stadium, Beauxbatons contingency and various guests were cheering for Fleur Delacour who was already on the way to the arena with the required _item_ in hand. The Hogwarts students were all wondering where both Cedric and Harry were in the forest and how far have they covered and the Durmstrang contingency were wondering the same about Krum.

"Our first champion is on the way to the arena with the item in hand to engage in the first task…" Bagman announced and everyone was wondering what Bagman meant by the task.

And just then the pitch which was previously covered in a huge satin cloth started withdrawing into the side of the stadium and revealed the state of the pitch. The pitch itself looked like a tropical forest and suddenly the stadium walls opened and dragon handlers and dragonologists walked inside pulling three cages and inside each of them, there was a dragon. And then they opened the cages and carefully took the dragons into the artificially developed habitat and then they tied the dragons separately in different places. Once their work was done, dragon handlers and dragonologists went back and secured the place. As the Dragonologists and handlers left, the dragons struggled and broke free of their bonds after a few attempts and then started roaming through the habitat.

"We can hope that Mademoiselle Delacour is prepared for what awaits her…" Bagman announced and almost everyone gasped in chorus after recovering from their initial shock.

* * *

 _ **With Harry-**_

After his first obstacle he was more careful of his surroundings, first he banished his earmuffs and then he kept jogging forward towards the higher ground. He trekked through the rocks and trees and he took a slanting right until he came to a levelled ground. But just as he reached the higher ground something felt off about the landscape. The trees looked like they were awfully cared for, comparing to the forest in general. There was an unusual level of moisture in the air and above all that this certain area of the forest appeared overly dark.

He knelt down on one knee and took a handful of mud in his palm and he smelt it, then he checked the texture of the mud in his hand. The texture felt soft and its scent reeked of manure, "…this mud was tilled recently and it faintly smells like dragon dung manure. Herbology…?" He muttered to himself doubtfully. He scanned the surrounding trees with scrutiny and he noticed quite a few familiar herbs and he smiled at them smugly. Having spent countless hours with Neville and Luna listening to their Herbology aptitude talk, he had a good idea of what kind of herbs they were, as such it dawned on him that idly listening to his friends finally seemed to help him somewhere, he mused to himself amusedly.

He stood up and he turned around to the way he came from and started running, he stumbled shorty as vines from the 'devil's snare' tried to catch one of his legs. He pointed his wand at the vines and yelled, "Diffindo…" His spell swiftly cut through the vines and he sprinted away from the area. Meanwhile back in the arena people with subsequent knowledge in Herbology and guests who did herb-based business were impressed by the reasoning they heard from Harry and were also a little astonished by Harry's observation skills, this included four out of the six judges.

Ten minutes later he found a high ground on which he could view the whole forest from and from there he scoped the possible routes which led to the other side of the forest and by his calculation he had a long way in front of him. What he found surprised him, there were two subsequent paths just alongside the routes he used, but what bothered him was that when he used the 'Revelio' spell on the different tracks he saw, unusually there was no indication of any traps. And that got him thinking, "If the forest itself is a dangerous obstacle course, of sorts…, then, why the traps?" He muttered softly to himself questioningly.

A few minutes later it dawned on him, "Unless…, they were guarding something…" He reasoned to himself and he gave an accomplished smile looking at the direction he previously came from. With that he turned and sprinted towards the region of 'herb trap' to verify his theory.

* * *

 _ **In the Arena-**_

"It seems like Mister Potter has figured out the hint…" Bagman announced and that made the people who were watching the youngest champion to cheer and the others to turn to view Harry.

"Well done, Harry." Hermione yelled among the many who yelled appreciative comments. She was sitting near Susan, Luna and few of Susan's friends. Hermione smiled proudly at her boyfriend's moving image on the screen; she wasn't really surprised by his analytical thinking, since she had seen enough of his plans.

But the clapping and cheering from the crowd reduced shortly and followed behind that came Bagman's next announcement, "Our first champion has arrived to the arena. And she has set a record by crossing the entire forest with the shortest time of fifty three minutes."

"And let's welcome her with a huge applause…" And huge claps and cheers erupted from the whole crowd. And five minutes later Fleur Delacour was battling against three vicious dragons.

* * *

 _ **With Harry-**_

He walked to the area and noticed the vines that were slowly moving to better positions to capture or kill him. "DELETRIUS…" He yelled out loud and casted the 'eradication spells' on all the herbs he could spot and among them was various trees and shrubs, his eradication spell successfully disintegrated every plant it came into contact with.

And with that he proceeded forward into the arch of thick trees and he carefully squeezed through the trees and he reached a cliff. He was very surprised and a little disappointed by the dead end of the trail, since he was so sure about his analysis. He gingerly stretched his right hand over the edge of the cliff to feel the wind, but instead he felt a tingling sensation in his skin and that got him curious, he drew his wand and pointed it out over the cliff and said, "Finite Incantatem." And that effectively nullified the illusion in the air and the cliff disappeared and it turned out to be a pathway with trees enclosing them on both sides.

He gave a smile of accomplishment at his actions and then he carefully walked on the pathway. On the way he noticed a few poisonous and carnivores plants among the enclosing trees and he decided to end the threat, he yelled, "Immobulus!" As a result all the herbs and plants stopped moving and then he casted a combination of, 'Incendio Tria' and 'Deletrius' on each of the plant and destroyed them individually.

Once at the end of the pathway he noticed that there was a centre tree which looked like more like a banyan tree than anything else. And his keen eye immediately noted a picture of a 'flag' drawn on the bark of the tree; it looked more like a drawing done by a child via watercolour. He drew his wand and held it horizontally and he moved them in three sweeping motions, first downwards and then upwards and down. The barks moved away and a flag materialised from inside and it was stuck like it was glued to the tree's surface and he pulled it out from the tree.

The flag's pole was around eighteen inches of length and it was of Metallic Grey-silver in colour and the flag cloth itself was silver with red lining in colour. _"_ _This item's properties will symbolize the difficulty and the danger of the task ahead…"_ He remembered what Bagman mentioned and he deciphered it and the only property that stood out was the colour of the flag, 'Metallic Grey-silver' and that only reminded him of the Ukrainian Ironbelly's colour and that shocked him to the core.

Having already seen the long route ahead of him, he immediately summoned, "Accio Firebolt." Almost five minutes later his broom appeared, he mounted it and soared into the sky and followed the path he was currently following, but viewing it from the sky. What he didn't know was that he was on the third shortest or the second longest route among the four real paths and on foot it would have taken him at least an hour more, but he unknowingly bypassed that and he reached the arena within another twenty minutes.

* * *

 _ **Arena-**_

Harry reached the stadium, but couldn't fly into the pitch it was as if something was repelling him, so he landed outside the dome. He shrunk his broom and he secured it in his pocket and then he walked in through the only entrance on the outside.

"After Mademoiselle Delacour's stunning performance with her dragons, now we have our second champion who has arrived. Please welcome Mister Harry Potter with a big round of applause…" He walked into the stadium and reached the pitch via the stadium's side wall, just in time to see the satin sheet withdrawing into the side, while revealing the huge crowd that was almost twice the school's strength and he took note of many familiar and popular faces among the crowd.

"As Mr. Potter has acquired the silver flag, this leaves Mr. Potter to face the terrifying yet equally dangerous, Ukrainian Ironbelly." Just as Bagman announced that, there were shouts from the left corner of the stadium followed by a long roar. Everyone turned in time to see the largest Ironbelly anyone has ever seen, and just then it broke free of its bonds easily. And just as he entered the habitat, he noticed the broken chain that was around its neck and it flew a little higher and landed on the other end of the pitch and it stretched it wings, which almost reached both the sides of the inner stadium walls and it gave another long roar.

The habitat itself consisted of a beautiful setting of both high and low grasslands coexisting in the same plane, there were both highland and lowland and the ground itself was vastly uneven in many places. The ground was covered in a thick grass like moss; he knew the moss was slippery as well as deep, so he needed to be careful of where to step. The pitch itself was too big for him to comb the place for a golden egg and he couldn't see any such item in the open. The soil was black and there were very old trees near the corner and huge boulders and rocks in the middle, which were also covered in thick moss. It was potentially perfect for building a nest for a dragon like the Ukrainian Ironbelly, because for it, it was just like its home and he knew that he was just as good as dead, if he arbitrarily let his guard down even for a moment.

He knew that the Ironbelly was territorial, and judging by the way the dragon was breathing fire on different places at the ground, he could say that it was familiarising with the pitch. He was standing in the open for the dragon to just peer at him from across the pitch, so he did what everyone else would do, he ran to the nearest boulder which was large enough to hide him. But he chose wrong, the dragon which was familiarising with the terrain was actually scrutinizing its new potential home, hence a human running around just made it awfully mad.

As he was contemplating a way to attack, he felt the sun disappear and a shadow over him, he immediately scanned his surroundings and noticed that the shadow was expanding with him being at its centre. He looked up just in time to see a dragon descending on him aiming its sharp claws at him, "Oh Shit…" He rolled over his head as fast as he can and he barely missed the exploding rocks that rocketed from the impact of the dragon's legs on the boulder which he was using to hide himself earlier.

The dragon seeing its defenceless prey on the ground, it decided to roast Harry and breathed fire on him, and luckily he turned around quickly and he casted a 'Flame-Freezing Charm' on the approaching fire and neutralized the effects of the fire. The flames engulfed the young champion and simultaneously there were shouts and gasps from the audience who didn't see the charm casted at the very last second. And to their relief, Harry sprinted out of the left side of the stream of fire and he sent a white spark that made contact with the dragon's head, while he hid behind another boulder.

His 'Conjunctivitis Curse' worked just as he expected and the dragon started roaring in obvious pain and hovering and manoeuvring just above the ground in agitation and was also breathing red hot fires in every direction hoping to kill its prey. The Ironbelly's main strengths were its senses and inborn resistivity. Since Ironbelly was a territorial dragon it had extraordinary sight, scent and hearing, and apart from that its skin had magical resistance and furthermore its skin was even harder than steel, so it was almost impossible to cause any type of damage. He casted a 'scent suppression charms' on himself to hide his own scent and then he took some of the moss from the ground and rubbed them on top of his skin to create a new scent, and he did this in order to meld in with his environment.

"Silencio…" He cast the 'silencing charm' on himself to mute any noise created by him on the pitch.

Right now he was weighing his options, the dragon's sight was reduced and the possibility of the dragon tracking him via scent and sound were neutralized. He had a few options, one he could fight the dragon head on and win and then search for whatever this task was hiding, or he could keep stalling all the while searching the pitch for anything out of the ordinary. Usually he would have gone for the second, but his reputation was on the line because he was being viewed by an international audience and he had a feeling that this was a timed event, hence he chose to go with the first option. But before he could enact his plan, he felt his hand shaking and he found it overly odd to feel fear, since he was confident that he could bring the dragon down, and before he could muse any further the shaking stopped.

He took a few deep breaths and he stood up from the safety of the boulder that was covering him. He immediately sprinted towards the dragon that was searching for him quite far away from him. As he was running towards it, the Ironbelly turned to look at him and it could see a moving creature and just as he expected a flame burst was sent to his direction, but as its eyesight was compromised its aim missed and the fire passed him by a few metres to his left. 'Orbis!' He pointed his wand at the dragon's feet and yelled, but none could hear what he spoke, since he was under the effect of his previous 'silencing charm'.

The ground under the dragon disappeared and the Ironbelly's legs were sucked in and he dispelled the spell right when the Ironbelly was inside and the ground closed up, he immediately followed through with an 'unbreakable charm' and casted it on the ground. Everyone could see the blue spell spreading through the ground, "RAAAH HRRR…" The Ironbelly roared and breathed fire aiming at the sky due to its current condition.

He conjured a huge metal chain and connected it to the broken chain around the Ironbelly's neck and in a slashing motion connected the sharp hook of the chain to the ground. And then he followed through with two separate 'unbreakable charms' one on the chain and the other on the ground to assure the dragon's immobility. The Ironbelly was flapping its huge wings trying to fly and break away the piece of land with it, if that is what it took for its freedom. He dispelled the charms that he previously placed on himself, as it was no longer necessary. Just as he was about to move and look for whatever that was hidden, he felt a deep vibration and he turned to look at the dragon in shock and the vibration was followed by a cracking noise, "KRKRKRKR." He scanned and found that the ground was cracking under the pulling force of the dragon, which was pulling the chain and was trying to escape from its captive situation.

He was a fair distance away from the dragon; he yelled and pointed his wand aiming for the dragon's head, "Reducto." The Reductor curse landed on the head of the dragon, however it had no effect due to the dragon's magical resistivity on the skin, but on the other hand it successfully enraged the dragon.

The Ironbelly could make the shape of a creature a fair distance away and it breathed the most scorching fire it could muster and he pointed his wand at the dragon oncoming fire and said, "Glacius Tria." He impelled a huge beam of windy ice, the ice and fire met and both the beams struggled for dominance almost for the next ten seconds until it exploded and the explosion created a black water cloud suspended in mid-air. "Tonitrui." He stated calmly and expelled very thick bolts of blinding white lightning with a deafening crackling noise indicating the tremendously huge amounts of electricity that he produced. His blinding lightning connected to the suspended black cloud, and his lightning successfully ionized the cloud and it found the nearest metal to discharge itself on, and the metal turned out to be the chain around the dragon's neck. The huge discharging currents used the chain's end which was bolted on the ground and the dragon itself as the way to discharged itself, when it was done the dragon was effectively stunned into unconsciousness and it lying prone on the ground.

Thunderous roars and cheers erupted from the crowd from all the sides of the arena when the dragon was lying defeated. None could believe that Harry Potter a mere fourth year student defeated a dragon in combat.

He impassively went to the centre of the entire arena and walked up the protruding boulder, which had a small hole on top of it and he slowly took the flag from inside of his coat and he planted the flag into the hole. And just then the flag disappeared into thin air with a shimmering golden glow and the surface of the rock disappeared revealing a big hole at the size of a man's head, he reached into it and pulled out the golden egg from inside the hole. Just as he took the egg the applause doubled and he grinned as modestly as he could at the crowd and walked into the alternate exit that appeared near the entrance.

* * *

 _ **Medical Area-**_

Just as he walked through the exit a couple of mediwitches led him to the medical area. There he sat on one of the beds as the witches checked his eye sight, hearing and made note of almost any stimuli from him, the mediwitch kept checking even when he told her that he was fine. He turned his head to the left on the witch's command and that's when he saw Fleur sitting there and drinking a tonic. Once the mediwitch made sure that he hasn't sprained his neck, she moved on to check his left shoulder. His check-up continued until Cedric was led in by a few mediwitches with a golden egg in hand.

"Hi, Harry." Cedric greeted him just as soon as he entered the room.

"Hi, Cedric" He greeted back with a half-smile.

The mediwitches made Cedric sit on the bed to his right and started checking Cedric's physical condition despite the vehement and frustrated protests of the seventh year Hogwarts champion.

"Rough day, huh?" He asked giving the older boy a knowing smile.

"You have no idea…" Cedric replied tiredly.

"Actually I do…" He replied and Cedric chuckled and gave a pat on his back, which made him laugh lightly and within minutes the light chuckling turned into an uncontrollable laughing, to the confusion of the all others in the room.

* * *

 _ **Finally I have finished my next chapter and to the people who wanted me to update very quickly. Guys before you ask I'll break the news myself. I changed or rather improvised the task a little to my liking, because I felt it was necessary. Harry and Hermione have made small changes in the timeline which subsequently gave rise to huge change. Dumbledore and Malfoy are a few of the many who were affected by the time travel, so please don't say that they are acting out of character. But at the same time if you think that I'm exaggerating a lot then please say so and I'll edit the chapter to your liking.**_

 _ **I know the fight between the dragon and Harry was small, but in my defence writing fight scenes involving magical spells and duelling is difficult and I have no prior experiences with it, so bear with me. And I am warning you, the next chapter will be rather uneventful, so please be a little more patient until the Yule Ball. I want Harry to be the humble yet terrifying leader, so that's why Harry's acting like this.**_

 _ **If you want any questions answered then message me.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This is going to be a regular time travel story, but it will be believable and realistic unlike many other stories I've read before, which I found either unbelievable or over-exaggerated and most likely discontinued. For example like soul-bond, inheriting skills they owned in the future etc. There will be exaggeration, but not over-exaggeration and apart from that there will be none of it, but planned events and fun.**

 **And this fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **In the Stadium-**_

Harry was talking with Cedric and they were both laughing hysterically, while Fleur was eyeing them both carefully but mostly out of confusion. She found both the Hogwarts champions to be very intriguing, the champions were friends even if they were competing with eachother. She couldn't appreciate that notion's value; if one of her friends were her competitor then they wouldn't be helping one another, much less talk to each other. Here both the Hogwarts champions were acting like they were two old parted friends who have met again after a long time.

A few minutes after the mediwitches finished checking a laughing Cedric, the parents and guardians were allowed to see their children. Cedric's parents and Fleur's parents came in shortly to congratulate and to make sure that their children were fine. A few minutes after that Sirius walked in through the door to Harry with a grin. Amos Diggory and his wife were a little uncomfortable with Sirius's presence, but they were eased when they saw Harry and Sirius talking and grinning like two pranksters on a spree.

"Pup, that was bloody brilliant…"

"I did what I did to get the egg." He replied with a smug smile on his face.

"Oh, really…did you?" Sirius asked sarcastically with a look which said 'oh please'.

"Where's Moony and Amy?" He asked Sirius as he was surprised by their absence.

"Just as you finished your task, your clever girlfriend came and told us how things have changed, so she asked Amy and Moony to make note of anything out of the ordinary, while she would assess the tasks." Sirius said to him but in an almost muttering like tone.

"I better get out of here, I have a feeling that your girlfriend is on her way here and that I should leave you alone." Sirius stood up and walked out of the room and just like Sirius said, mere minutes later his irritated girlfriend walked in with Luna, Neville and Susan.

"What were you thinking, fighting a dragon head on?" Hermione asked him as soon as she reached beside his bed.

"Actually I wasn't thinking, but it did work didn't it?" He asked back happily.

"Did you ever stop to consider what would have happened if your plan didn't go as you expected it to?" Hermione asked back irately but he understood that she was doing it just to seem normal.

"Relax will you? The task is over and I'm fine, so that's no harm done." He replied back playing along.

"Mate, that was intense…" Neville relied with a huge lopsided grin on his face, and they both fist bumped. Luna and Susan smiled at him appreciatively, and between that Susan kept staring at Cedric every now and then giving the older boy a dreamy look.

He felt a little bad for Susan, she had a huge crush on Cedric, but Cedric had no interest in young and immature girls. Cedric expected more of a stable relationship than anything else and above all that the older boy didn't care much about beauty as he was more interested in brains. And the interesting aspect of that thought process was that Cedric only started looking for such girls after his entry into the Triwizard tournament as a champion and he warning Cedric for the first task only cemented the utility of that idea. They were all interrupted by Fleur's parents who congratulated him and Cedric on their successful completion of task. With that Fleur and her parents left to watch the last champion's take on the task, and so did Cedric and his parents, but Neville convinced Luna and Susan to let he and Hermione to be alone and they too left right behind Cedric.

"So Mione, how did the others do?" He asked her seriously and she sat beside him to begin her explanation, meanwhile he silently casted a 'Muffliato' spell around them.

"First let me explain the reality of the tasks." She began seriously but was interrupted immediately.

"The reality…?" He asked curiously.

"The tasks are not as simple as you think, there's much more to it. There are ten routes to the arena but among them only four are authentic paths, each path is designed in a way to be equal in terms of difficulty. First route will get you to the arena quickly, at best it will get you here in fifty minutes, but the traps on that route are very risky. The second path is a little longer comparing it to the distance of the first path and it will get the champion to the arena in one hour and twenty minutes, but at the same time the traps are less dangerous. The third path is even longer and it will require the champion an hour and forty five minutes, but the traps are even less dangerous than the path before. And the final path is by far the longest and the easiest, but the path requires the participant a good two hours of time, at least. And above all that a single path can only be used once; and only by one champion…" Hermione continued and he was definitely surprised by her introduction.

"I guessed that the whole setup was based to make sure that each one of the champions has a different time of arrival, but I didn't suspect the differences in their respective routes, but now that I think of it, it does make perfect sense." He remarked distractedly.

"Fleur was the one who took the first route and she reached the arena first and she did it within fifty three minutes from the starting signal. And obviously she had to face the most dangerous of traps…, first she had to get past a sleeping 'mountain troll' without waking it, and then across a field of carnivores plants and after that she had to bypass a pack of wolves and finally she had to take one of the tunnels inside the Acromantulas' nest to get to the arena on time." She explained in detail.

And the only reply he gave was, "Whoa."

"Exactly…she had the dangerous of tasks especially the last one even if she didn't encounter any Acromantulas; it was by far the dangerous of traps among the four routes." She concurred with his reaction.

"If she faced all this…, then how did she make it to the arena so fast?" He asked curiously.

"I think it was the tunnel. The tunnel was actually short, but nonetheless it covered a subsequent distance comparing to the surface." She replied diligently.

"Maybe the tunnel was magically bewitched to be rather short…" He guessed an answer.

"Probably…!" She agreed with him.

"And the flag…?" He asked her very interested to know what dragon she faced.

"She got her flag after she passed the pack of wolves, it was on top of a tree, but she simply summoned it down. Her flag consisted of a copper colour pole with black marking on a copper colour flag, it was by far the smallest of the four, its length was of five inches maybe…but that's about it." She gave him everything he needed to know.

"So the length and colour of the flags indicates the dragon that each of us faced, huh? Interesting…I'm assuming that she faced the pack of Peruvian Vipertooths?" He asked with a fascinated smile and she nodded positively.

"Hermione, can we go and watch the last fight? You can explain the rest to me on the way…"He asked and she impassively nodded her head giving him permission and he bowed mockingly taking her orders to which she swatted jokingly on his chest. With that they both walked out of the medical area with the golden egg in hand.

"How did she handle the dragons?"

"First Fleur distracted the dragons by setting the forest on fire. Then she efficiently made use of the valuable time she acquired and placed 'reflecting Sonorus charms' on the stadium walls and then she used a spell that made a high pitched noise that kind of immobilised all three dragon. And she finished the match by retrieving the egg within a few minutes." She explained how Delacour won against her dragons, but she said it in an obvious way that meant that she still had her doubts.

"As I said before, Peruvian Vipertooths are territorial by nature; hence like all territorial dragons they too have enhanced senses in comparison to other dragons, which also include a very sensitive hearing. Fleur obviously capitalised on that piece of information to get the necessary results." He explained to ease her confusion which he sensed easily, since Hermione didn't have much knowledge regarding dragons and their abilities as she thought of them as dangerous but otherwise uninteresting creatures.

"And Cedric…?" He asked her with equal curiosity.

"Cedric came almost fifteen minutes after you finished, which is around two hours from the start. Cedric's traps were less dangerous compared to Fleur's, but challenging nonetheless. Cedric first fought against a big Runespoor that was until he effectively scared it away. Then he had to cross a series of quicksand and dry sand area and that's where he got his flag. His flag was stuck in the middle of a quicksand and the pit itself was charmed to resist any type of magic on it, so using a summoning charm to retrieve the flag was of no use. He needed some time to prepare for contingencies, once his contingency plans were in place he went inside the quicksand and got it himself. Finally Cedric had to get past a poison rain which covered a subsequent part of his route and that's what took a long time for him to circumvent." She explained carefully.

"And the flag…?"

"Cedric's flag's pole and cloth were of dark green colour with golden markings and it was longer than Fleur's but shorter than yours." Hermione updated him.

"Cedric had to face the Romanian Longhorn, didn't he?" He asked in an obvious tone.

"Yes, he did. Cedric used an illusion to infuriate the Longhorn and then he let it fly higher and higher until he conjured a chain and connected it to its tail and to the ground. And when the chain ran out, the Longhorn didn't expect to feel any hindrance and so when the chain jerked and snapped, the Longhorn lost its balance and fell down and crashed on the ground. Cedric used a 'sleeping mist spell' on the injured dragon and put it to sleep and then he retrieved the egg." Hermione explained and he laughed lightly at Cedric's plan.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall…! Nice tactic." He commented on Cedric's win.

"And Viktor…?" He asked her casually.

"Krum took quite a long time to identify the correct route among the decoy. Because by the time he figured out the hints, there was only one path left, so he kind of didn't have a choice but to find the last authentic route among the six decoys. His path was the longest; he had to skirt around one hill and climb over another and then cross a trench to get to the arena. But he had to face only one trap, but he had to solve it as there was no evading it, as the field was situated in between two cliffs. His trap consisted of a field of hot steam geysers and his flag was planted in the middle of the geyser field. The field was pressure sensitive; if he walked on it then the geysers became unstable and steamed anything above it, so he had to carefully step on the rocks and slowly travel to the middle and retrieve the flag and then cross the field to safety." She explained to him about Krum's time in the forest.

"His flag was of black colour with curved bronze colour markings and so was the flag cloth, and its length was more or less the same as Cedric's. And right now I think he is fighting…" Hermione remarked.

"So in short, the entire obstacle course was designed to bring the champions one after another while giving the judges the necessary information to assess us individually before the task itself begins and at the same time to keep the international guests entertained for a long time. It makes sense, after breakfast the excitement keeps all the viewers focused for a few hours and then the task keeps them entertained for another three long hours and then finally lunch and after that they leave, to sum it up it's a perfect day off for them, isn't it? But I still don't think that the judges will take the time into account, since they wanted us to arrive separately, first Fleur, afterwards me and then Cedric and finally Krum." He surmised the purpose of the task, to this she looked thoughtful, but he wasn't finished so he continued.

"And did you notice the number of the traps which decreased with each of the authentic routes you mentioned? For Fleur, she had to face and survive through four dangerous traps, but for Cedric it was only three and for me it was two and finally for Krum it was only one. And with each of the path the danger of the traps reduced, but at the same time the eventual struggle to obtain the flag increased, because without the flag there was no point in moving forward. And also considering that specific flags were set for specific paths, for Fleur she had to face dangerous traps, yes, but then again at the same she got the pack of Peruvian Vipertooths which incidentally has the most number of weaknesses among the four types of dragons. And I don't think that is a mere coincidence and I don't think you believe that either." He pointed out a fact that she missed since she wasn't looking for it.

"You're right Harry, but I did say that the paths were designed to be equally difficult. At the same time you came second only because you used the firebolt to cover the rest of the distance after obtaining the flag, you were actually on the third path. So, maybe it's safe to assume that you may have missed a trap or two since you circumvented it, when you were half way through your path. I think if you hadn't used the firebolt, probably you and Cedric would have arrived together. In any case it makes perfect sense, the whole point of the entire 'forest obstacle course' prior to the task itself is to test and tire you to the point of letting you face a dragon when you are not at your utmost best. Therefore the faster you reach the arena the easier it will be to face the odds and the longer it takes so the harder it gets. And I also think that maybe the judges will compare the times you arrived with their calculated best of the respective paths and then award you with points." She reasoned and speculated at the same time.

"Let's hope so…" He said softly and gave a peck on her cheek.

They both walked into the viewers' stands, just in time to see Krum running out through the exit with a slightly destroyed golden egg in hand. And they also saw the Hungarian Horntail breathing fire at all direction in intensified rage.

"We are late…" Hermione said in an apologetic tone since her boyfriend wanted to see this match.

"It doesn't matter; I just wanted to be out of the medical area and I didn't want to walk alone." He replied with a smirk to which she narrowed her eyes a little while giving him a teasing smile. They both took their seats near Neville, Luna, Susan and a few of Susan's friends. They all congratulated him as he sat down and then they all watched as the Dragon handlers stunning the angry Horntail and leading it away from the pitch. Cedric and Fleur too were sitting among the audience and all of them were waiting for the results of their performance.

"All champions please proceed and assemble near the arena's lower entrance to the pitch…" Bagman announced and all three stood up from their seats and walked out of the viewers' stands. As he and Hermione walked into the stands when the crowd was cheering for Krum, very few actually noticed him taking a seat, so when he stood up to move, there was murmuring among the crowd which he found rather annoying.

They all assembled side by side at the lower entrance to the pitch, he stood near Krum at the right end of the line. He earned a cold stare from the Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker just for standing near him. They all looked up to see the six judges who were all now sitting together along the length of a long table situated just behind the railing.

"Mademoiselle Delacour…" Bagman called Fleur's name and she took a step forward.

Ministry big shot Antony Baker took his wand and gave a wave and the ribbon flew split into two and arranged itself into a 'ten'. There were cheers, but it was cut short by Madam Maxime who too gave a wave and the ribbon did the same and arranged a 'ten'. Bagman too gave a wave and his ribbon too spilt and turned into a 'ten'. Dumbledore's ribbon turned into a 'nine' and so did Crouch's. And finally Karkaroff gave a wave and his ribbon turned into a 'five'.

"Miss Delacour, you have earned a total of 53 out of 60." Bagman announced and there were cheers which died soon as Antony Baker spoke.

"Miss Delacour, as you reached the arena at an impressive time of just three minutes after the _estimated best_ of your path, we've decided to award you with two points out of five as an added bonus…" Mr. Baker announced and Bagman continued, "Hence, Miss Delacour your final score is 55 out of 65!" With that Fleur waved her hand at the crowd's applause and stepped back.

And when the applause finally died down Bagman spoke again, "Mister Diggory…" And Cedric took a step forward.

Mr. Baker again waved his wand and gave a score of 'nine' and so did Madam Maxime. Bagman awarded him a 'ten'. Dumbledore gave a 'nine', while Crouch gave an 'eight'. And finally Karkaroff gave Cedric a 'five', which earned a lot of boos and shouts from the crowd.

"Mr. Diggory, you have earned a score of 50 out of 60." Bagman announced and waited for Mr. Baker to continue.

"Mister Diggory, as you arrived twenty five minutes later than the _estimated best_ of your chosen path, we have decided not to award you with any bonus points, and hence this gives you a grand total of 50 out of 65." Cedric nodded in understanding, the resultant applause ranged from modest clapping to loud cheers. And Amos Diggory's loud shouting from the stands 'that's my boy' served to be a good show of appreciation.

"Mr. Krum…" Bagman called and Krum took a step forward, while Cedric stepped back.

Mr. Baker gave a score of 'eight', and so did Maxime. Bagman gave Krum a 'nine', while both Dumbledore and Crouch gave an 'eight'. Finally Karkaroff gave a 'ten' for his esteemed protégé. There were boos and annoyed shouts from the crowd and even the Bulgarian ministry officials looked a little ashamed by Karkaroff's blatant favouritism.

"Mr. Krum your total score is 51 out of 60." Bagman announced and there was a huge applause from Durmstrang contingent, but a subdued and modest clapping from the other students of the schools and guests.

"Mister Krum, since it took you an extra forty five minutes above the _estimated best_ of the path you travelled in, we have decided to deduct one point from your maximum." Mr. Baker said and there were protests from the Durmstrang contingency, meanwhile Karkaroff couldn't say or do anything, as he knew already knew of the judges' decision.

"This gives Mr. Krum an effective 50 out of 65, tying him to Mr. Diggory for second position." Bagman announced out loud and there was an equally loud clapping from the guests and the other school students. Krum obviously looked pissed about his current predicament, while Cedric had a narrow grin on his face.

"Mr. Potter…" Bagman called and he took a step forward while Krum stepped back.

Mr. Baker started with a 'ten' and Madam Maxime followed with an 'eight'. Bagman gave a 'ten', while both Dumbledore and Crouch gave a 'nine' and finally Karkaroff gave a 'four'. None in the vicinity were surprised by Karkaroff's actions as they already expected this, but Harry on the other hand was impassive as ever.

"Mr. Potter you have earned a total score of 50 out of 60." Bagman said in an obvious unfinished manner and looked towards Mr. Baker.

"Mister Potter, comparing your performance to your fellow champions', you were the only one to arrive before the _estimated best_ of your specific path. And as you have smashed through the time barrier of your path by twenty minutes, we have decided to award you with a full bonus of five points. Effectively putting you at 55 out of 65, nevertheless tying you to Miss Fleur for first position…" Mr. Baker announced and a small smile dawned on his impassive face. The crowd roared with claps and cheers at the announcement of the bonus points.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a loud round of applause for our champions…" Bagman announced and claps emanated with whistles and huge applause.

"This marks the end of the first task. The second task will take place on February 24th and the champions must solve the clue inside the egg, because it will convey them what the second task is and will enable them to prepare for it." Bagman kept announcing a few more details and with that the First task was officially considered to be over and all the guests started walking out of the arena either towards the castle or away from it towards the other entrances.

Many of the guests' children or relatives were students at school so they were all saying their goodbyes and so was he to Sirius and Remus. When he shook hands with Sirius, he handed him a folded piece of paper which had some specific instruction and said, "Take a look at it when you both are _secure_." And then he subtly pointed his eyes at the ICW members who were all speaking with Dumbledore and the other judges, both Sirius and Remus gave a subtle nod all the while faking a cheery look. Meanwhile Susan was saying her farewells to Amelia, while Neville to his grandmother and Luna to her father. With that they left to the castle while the guests made their way home.

* * *

 _ **Next Morning-**_

Harry entered the great hall and sat beside Hermione with a tired sigh and he promptly ignored the looks of awe he was receiving from almost everyone in the hall. He made it look like that he didn't even notice their looks, and instead he took a book explaining the history and development of counter-spells for curses and he had his nose buried in it. Cedric and Fleur were doing the same; they too were acting modest even if they wanted to flaunt their victory. As it was obvious that flaunting their name now would cause problems if things go wrong in the future, and since the tournament wasn't over yet they decided to play it safe. At the same time Krum, his friends and many boys from the Durmstrang contingency were missing, they all assumed that they were either still celebrating the victory or were out cold after the celebration. Just then the owls flew into the great hall and the 'prophet' arrived and everyone eagerly opened it to see what was written about the yesterday's task. Neville, Dean and Seamus opened Neville's prophet immediately and started reading together. Around five minutes later the whole hall was murmuring and talking and a few minutes afterwards he got the paper and he started reading it with a dry but silent whine, because the first thing he saw was the picture of his 'thunder spell' stunning the dragon.

* * *

 **THE FIRST TASK OF THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT, BOY-WHO-LIVED DEFEATS DRAGON**

 **By Rita Skeeter**

The First Task of the Triwizard Tournament rocks the world with its spectacular show. The task took place at 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' on Thursday. Since the task was the most anticipated event of the month, it drew various dignitaries from all around the globe. All four champions, Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, and Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons and finally our surprise entrant Harry Potter also from Hogwarts (read 3 for in depth insight on this illegal but unavoidable entry), have participated in this dangerous yet terrifying task and proved that they are worthy of their title as champions.

The day started with a slight disturbance in the air, as all the champions were taken from their rooms to an unknown location. As the guests arrived and the stadium was packed beyond capacity and the necessary arrangements for the entertaining event were made to monitor the champions' movements and progress all along the way of the task.

Just as the event began, the champions were thrust into the Dark Forest for them to trek through it all the while avoiding and overcoming various traps and to retrieve certain flags that were deemed essential for them to conclude the task. Once these flags were obtained the champions had to cross the remaining area of the forest and reach the arena to face their final challenge. Each of these champions had to face or bypass a dragon or a pack of dragons to obtain a golden egg via the help of their flags that they previously obtained; where this said golden egg would serve as the clue for their next task.

Miss Fleur was the first one to reach the arena as she faced the dangerous traps and finally she had to fight a pack of Peruvian Vipertooths, a pack consisting of three dragons. She immobilized her dragons by producing a high pitched noise that paralyzed all three dragons momentarily and she acquired her egg very easily once the dragons were incapacitated. Likewise Mister Diggory, Mister Potter and Mister Krum had to face such traps, retrieve the flags and finally fight a dragon to obtain the golden eggs.

Mr. Krum who arrived last had to fight a 'Hungarian Horntail', a particularly nasty dragon of its kind. He bypassed his dragon by a well-placed 'conjunctivitis curse' and then the famed Quidditch Seeker of Bulgaria obtained the egg, even if his egg was destroyed a little. Mr. Diggory who arrived third had to face a 'Romanian Longhorn' and he overcame his obstacle with the clever use of 'conjuration spell' and the 'sleeping mist spell'. And finally our surprise entrant Mr. Harry Potter faced his dragon, the largest of its species; a 'Ukrainian Ironbelly' and he overcame it by the least expected fashion. Mr. Potter went toe to toe with the dragon and defeated it in an outright confrontation via the ingenious combination of spells and raw power the fourteen year old champion possessed.

Mr. Potter has once again proved why he is considered the boy-who-lived and why he is considered as our saviour, there is a spark of destiny that glints in his emerald green eyes. (For further details read the article on pg. no 5.)

* * *

Harry slammed the newspaper shut and gave the half crumpled paper back to Neville with a well-hidden scowl. He forcefully shifted his attention back to his book, but he wasn't reading it instead he was lost in thought. Usually he would have just ignored this, but now he couldn't because he seriously disliked the whole idea of his name being praised while his fellow champions' names were being overlooked like that in the article. And he was slightly disappointed by the effects of his 'mind memory charm' that he placed on Skeeter however he was also glad that his school year will be more gratifying.

Hermione on the other hand finished reading the article on page number three and was surprised by the accuracy of the truth; unlike her expectations there were no lies in that piece of information. She just assumed that her clever boyfriend's 'mind-memory charm' on Skeeter was giving them satisfying results as the things written in the article weren't fabricated or offensive.

She caught Harry's left hand under the table and intertwined her fingers and then she gave him a squeeze to which his body deflated a little and lost that tension and stress that was building inside of him, due to frustration. Harry glanced at her and gave her a grateful look in which he telepathically conveyed her that she will be getting rewarded tonight and let slip a few mental images and in return he got a faint blush from her that she was desperately trying to hide.

* * *

 _ **That Night (Headmaster's Private Library)-**_

Severus Snape was sitting in the chair patiently waiting for Albus to finish his reading, he knew better than to interrupt the old headmaster. Almost twenty minutes later when Dumbledore placed his book on the table and faced the sitting Potioneer, Snape began, "Moody is the man placed by the Dark Lord inside the castle."

"I've known Alastor for a long time, Severus; he can't be a Death Eater if that's what you're getting at." Dumbledore calmly refuted the claim.

"Not Moody, but someone disguised as Moody." Snape added and this caught Dumbledore's gaze.

"Go on…" The headmaster gave him permission to continue.

"You know that there have been steady thefts from my stores since the school year began. Among the many ingredients, every time there were Fluxweed, Lacewing flies, Knotgrass, Boomslang skin and Horn of Bicorn these ingredients are specifically used in brewing the 'Polyjuice Potion'; whilst the other ingredients are alternatively neglected each time. Someone is stealing potion ingredients, but at the same stealing many to hide the important components among them." Snape explained his doubts.

"And what makes you say that Alastor is the one who is stealing?" The headmaster asked curiously.

"Because I saw him stealing the ingredients from my stores, every time I tried to bug my own office in order to catch the infiltrator I failed, because the person who stole was smart enough to notice it and remove it. But this time I placed a 'vibration sensitive monitoring charm' on the inside of the door of the empty room opposite to my office. This time when the thief opened my door the charm sensed the vibration and alerted me and I reached just in time to see Moody exiting my office. Fortunately for me Moody's magic eyes weren't looking for anything in particular, hence I was able to remain unnoticed." He paused expecting a reply from Albus but didn't receive anything.

"The Dark Lord ordered someone to capture Moody and keep him hostage and at the same time, used his hair on the Polyjuice potion and then used it to disguise him/her as Moody in ordered to keep an eye on Potter. And I'm assuming that this person is to be the one who entered Potter's name into the Tournament." Snape finished looking proudly at Dumbledore.

"Good work Severus, you may go…" Dumbledore simply dismissed the Potioneer.

"What are we going to do, Albus?" Snape didn't leave as ordered but asked again confused by the reaction of the headmaster.

"Nothing I guess." Dumbledore replied nonchalantly.

"You don't seem surprised by the news, Albus." Snape stated bluntly.

"As I stated earlier, I've known Alastor for a long time. I know if a person is impersonating my friend or not, I intentionally let the person to follow through with his/her plans because Harry was developing to be quite an enigma who was becoming difficult to profile. Usually I'd be worried of this person's motives, but seeing the skills Harry displayed yesterday I think I did the right thing by letting the Dark Lord's plans to unfold." Dumbledore explained briefly to his tool.

"I'm supremely confident that this will play through just like we want it to and it will put young Harry right where I want him and from there I will guide him to the light." Dumbledore stated impassively while gazing through the window, meanwhile Snape smiled in glee.

* * *

 _ **Days Later (Transfiguration class)-**_

Harry, Hermione and the entire gang were used to hiding under the 'notice-me-not' charms and active illusions in order to handle the crowds. Harry was getting mobbed by girls of all ages and by almost all the first years on a regular basis. Meanwhile Hermione, Neville, Luna and Susan were getting mobbed by many others either to get Harry's autograph or for the opportunity to socialize with the Harry Potter. And on top of all this, Rita Skeeter's detailed article/coverage on the prophet about the first task of the Triwizard Tournament did more harm than good. The performances of all the champions were covered in general, but his performance was exclusively explained among the four. And the title of the article didn't help either, 'Boy who lived defeats Dragon', the article just boosted the morale of the most immature girls in the school with exaggerated awe and now he was being followed by girls wherever he went. What flabbergasted him was that, according to Sirius, the ICW proofread and edited the article in order to reduce the characterisation of Skeeter's polluted version even if Skeeter can't write anything offensive about him for the time period due to his 'mind-memory charm'. Even then the article was pretty exaggerated, so he was confused of whether if he should consider himself lucky or be annoyed, because things could have been even worse if Skeeter published her original unedited version, but at the same this version did nothing to portray him as humble.

At the same time the 'unfavourable group' of idiots were disbanded with no chance of restitution. Tim, Digby and Patrick all understood that the Triwizard Tournament was no joke as they have witnessed how overly dangerous it was. Digby was the first one to accept that his grudge on Harry was pointless and that the Potter boy deserved his title and fame. Tim and Patrick followed behind his friend's analogy and accepted that Harry was leagues ahead of them in terms of both raw power and skill. Cormac being the coward he was decided that it was hazardous and unwise to oppose someone who can defeat dragons in an outright confrontation. Meanwhile the redheaded blithering idiot stood his ground with no friends or companions to help him with his mission with only a futile grudge and his sad excuse for a life.

Harry on the other hand faced reality after experiencing through the modified first task, it was clear to him that things have changed drastically and that it will keep continue to change. He had a vague suspicion and a gut feeling that things may soon go to hell; as such he started training more vigorously both physically and magically. He started practicing magic consuming spells and he extensively worked through various complex styles to accommodate his aggressive fighting skills. The magic expending spells were to increase the size and strength of his magical core and his physical training was to increase his stamina and speed. His usual normal jogging in the morning was shifted to sprinting and his usual physical training was intensified to a level beyond healthy. He and Hermione usually did this in the morning, but during the start of this year his girlfriend felt that she didn't need to develop muscles, hence she stopped training with him and instead she did her training in the 'room of requirement' which mostly consisted of extremely rewarding stretching exercises. And he didn't forbid her since her stretching exercises gave her better flexibility and elasticity, and apart from that it put some irresistible curves in her body and he considered those as blessings from heaven.

Currently they were all sitting in their Transfiguration class. The class had just ended, the guinea fowls were transfigured into guinea pigs and they were locked and stowed away safely on professor McGonagall's desk. They also copied down the topic of their homework and the bell was due to ring any moment.

McGonagall cleared her throat for a moment and when the class quieted down, she began, "Now that I have everyone's attention, I have something to announce."

"The Yule Ball is approaching; it is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity to socialize with our foreign guests." She paused for a moment to let the children to grasp onto the news better.

"Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above although you may invite a younger student if you wish. Dress robes will be worn, and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall." Again she stopped for a brief moment and deliberately stared around the class.

"The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to let our hair down… But that does NOT mean, that we will be relaxing the standard of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." She finished sternly while she fixed her gaze on the class in general.

The bell rang and everyone packed up to leave the class and when they were indeed leaving McGonagall began again, "Mr. Potter, a word if you please."

He turned and walked to the headmistress and stood before her, "Now the champions and their partners will be opening the ball, so make sure you and your partner prepare diligently and impress the guests who will be arriving for the ball."

"Yes, ma'am…" He replied betraying no emotions and when McGonagall gave a nod he walked out of the room.

As he walked out of the room he saw Hermione waiting for him with an expectant smile on her face. "What is it, Miss Granger?" He asked teasingly.

"Are you going to ask me?" She asked bluntly with a grin threatening to appear on her face.

"Ask you what?" He asked back teasingly, where she picked up on his act immediately.

"Huh, since you're about to play it like that, I've no other choice but this… I believe Krum will be thrilled to know that I may be available to accompany him to the ball as his date." She teased back with a toying smile.

"I assure you Ms. Granger; none will be available to take you for the ball, when I'm still around." He replied back in a half-arrogant and half-joking tone.

"Ah, possessive are you Mr. Potter?" She asked mischievously.

"Maybe I am, but the question is…should I be ashamed?"

"Perhaps not…" She replied with a proud smirk. During the 'teasing game' he led her to an isolated corridor and got on one knee and still asked her in a joking tone.

"All kidding aside… Milady Granger, I would be honoured, if you but be upon my arm." He asked her looking deeply into her eyes, but still with the playful grin on his face.

"YES Harry, yes…" She yelled her answer to him. She jumped on him and he got up from his position with a struggle and held her tightly and they both stood there for a long time until both even forgot why they were even there.

* * *

 _ **Study Session-**_

As they reached Hagrid's hut, they saw Neville, Luna, Daphne and Tracey with two newcomers standing and talking with eachother. Astoria Greengrass was a stubborn girl but she like her sister thought on her feet and she always made her own decisions, but since she was just a child her mother advised her on many topics. Astoria unlike Daphne had a more accepting nature; hence she accepted everything she was advised about especially by someone she trusted and so she accepted her mother's viewpoint and was keen to satisfy her parents. That's what worried Daphne, she understood her sister's eagerness to please and satisfy her parents, so naturally she feared for her sister. She knew that if her parents thought that Astoria needs to be married off to some pureblood at a young age then her sister wouldn't object. For all intents and purposes her sister would be throwing her life away, and that was why she insisted that it was necessary for her sister to acquire a new and useful perspective.

Susan on the other hand was invited by Hermione just after the first task. Susan was glad to join them to study, since it only happened twice a week and mostly during weekends and that gave her enough time to spend it with her friends and with them. Susan was at first surprised by the presence of Daphne and Tracey, but seeing that they had no trouble working with Neville and Luna who were the most unpopular of people in the school, she too introduced herself to the group of friends.

As they reached the group Hermione began, "Getting acquainted I see?"

"Daphne was just explaining to us how Astoria remembered your 'knock' and wanted to learn it too." Neville broke the news while he held his impassiveness and scrutinized through Astoria's mind to make sure that she wasn't lying or was being manipulated by anyone. As Neville was speaking, Hermione noticed a tense stare from Daphne which was filled with jealousy and disappointment; she chose to ignore the blonde haired girl.

And when he was sure that everything was fine, he gave a nod of approval and walked past them towards the lake whilst Neville asked, "What are we going to do?" Harry purposefully mistook Neville's question by taking it in a general basis.

"Recruit more boys, we just got outnumbered by thrice our size…" He answered back in a low tone and to that he got smirks from all six girls in the group.

Their study session consisted of Luna and Neville collecting herbs, while teaching the procedures of collecting them to the newcomers. And then Daphne and Tracey taking turns to teach the newcomers about the significance of the record notes they kept for Herbology and Magical Creatures.

Meanwhile he said to them, "I'll be right back." With that he took the golden egg and walked up the rocky highland and he causally dived into the deeper side of the lake head first with the egg in hand, from a height of forty feet, scaring Hermione half to death. He resurfaced quickly and swam to the shore where his friends were standing. But just when he reached the shallow region where he could stand submerged he stopped and placed the golden egg on top of the mud below and opened it.

The thick yellowish substance inside the egg started emitting a dim light and he heard the song.

 _ **Come seek us where our voices sound,**_

 _ **We cannot sing above the ground,**_

 _ **And while you're searching ponder this;**_

 _ **We've taken what you'll sorely miss,**_

 _ **An hour long you'll have to look,**_

 _ **And to recover what we took,**_

 _ **But past an hour, the prospect's black,**_

 _ **Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.**_

He resurfaced only to see his girlfriend glaring at him from the shore to which he grinned like an idiot having no other choice but to stall and escape from Hermione's wrath. He submerged again but this time he closed the egg and slowly walked to the shore. Just as soon as he climbed up the shore from the water, he used a 'charm' developed in the future and he parched all of his wet clothes, so much that they were dry within a minute.

"Harry, why did you jump into the water with the egg?" Susan deadpanned giving him a bored look.

"To test a theory out and to put an end to a suspicion..." He replied as vaguely as he could.

"And…?" She probed him again.

"Turns out I was wrong." He replied carelessly and they took his word for it, but his girlfriend wasn't deceived. With that the session continued on but Hermione kept giving him an inquiring gaze throughout the session.

* * *

 _ **Grand Staircase-**_

Harry and Hermione were headed to the seventh floor via the grand staircase as the study session was over and they were both tired that they want to cuddle. As they were walking up from the third floor, all of a sudden Cedric appeared out of nowhere and walked over to him and spoke, "Harry, a word." He gave Hermione a look to which she nodded subtly and he stood up and walked over to his fellow Hogwarts champion.

"What is it, Cedric?" He asked just as they walked away from the flight of stairs to an isolated corridor with no portraits near another flight of stairs.

"Susan told me that you knew how to perform flawless Legilimency…" Cedric began sounding as if he had trouble speaking aloud.

"Susan as in Susan Bones…?" He asked to the older boy to confirm the informant's identity.

"Yes!"

"The same Susan who has a huge crush on you, who would tell anything to please you…?" He tried to mislead the older boy, but with no success.

"Yes, but don't try to deny it. I'm not confronting you just by taking her words. No, I'm here because I've seen you do it on various occasions." Cedric said but seeing that Harry wasn't convinced he continued on.

"The way you and Granger act around each other as if you both know how you think and move beforehand, it's almost like you both are inside each other's minds. The way you expertly defended your mind against 'Fleur's allure', only an experienced Legilimency user knows how to block such emotional change, because you've felt how others feel when you probe their minds with your Legilimency attack first hand. Harry, please don't deny it, I've done my fair share of homework on this." Cedric reasoned and it was too detailed to be a bluff, so he confirmed it by looking into Cedric's mind and verified it and he sighed.

Seeing Harry's shocked look, which he assumed it as shock because all Harry raised was his left eyebrow as soon as he brought Granger's name into the conversation, hence he assumed that Harry was shocked about his relationship being revealed, he continued, "What did you think? Did you honestly think that nobody would notice you and Granger tiptoeing around each other?"

"That obvious, huh…?" He bluntly asked to the older boy.

"Not exactly, the smart people in all the houses have definitely figured it out and they honestly think that it was about time, but most girls still don't want to acknowledge the fact that Granger has you under her thumb. So your secret is safe for a little more while…" Cedric commented casually.

"Okay, you've made your point. And I grudgingly admit to that I know how to use Legilimency, so what do you want?" He replied truthfully seeing no point in denying it anymore and asked the obvious question.

"Harry, I didn't mean to call you out like that, but I need a favour and only you can help me." Cedric requested and he gave a nod of agreement.

"I need you to look into Fleur's mind and find out what kind of boy she is interested in and about her base mentality on the topic as whole." Cedric asked sounding a little out of breath.

"Fleur…?" He asked surprised, since Roger Davies was the one who accompanied Fleur to the Ball last time.

"Is that so hard to believe? She is smart and beautiful and she is a fellow champion, I quite like her." Cedric replied a little irately.

"Cedric, why can't you just talk to her friends?" He asked logically because if you want to know about a girl then you talk to her friends.

"Usually, I'd do just that. But now I don't want to reveal that I'm interested in her." Cedric replied and he faked a confused look.

"You know what I'm talking about, Harry, don't act like you don't know. I'd analyse a girl's mentality just by having a few conversations with them, but therein lays the problem. I can't talk to Fleur without losing control over my mind and that's why I need your help." Cedric explained the nature of his problem.

"Cedric, I'll be honest with you, I read everyone's minds that I feel around me solely to keep track of their thoughts regarding me. Fleur is like any other girl, she craves attention and fame mostly positive but she doesn't care even if they're negative. She wants to be made feel special by her date or boyfriend she expects that and she also likes men who have the guts to approach her without losing control of their minds… And she finds herself insecure and uncomfortable if any male walks into her private space." Initially he gave the basics, but he decided to warn Cedric in detail because he just had a great idea and this was the right opportunity to execute it.

"Are you planning to ask her to the ball?" He asked and Cedric gave a nod with an obvious look.

"Here's what you do, ask her before the whole school during…breakfast maybe dinner…, but mostly try to ask her in front of all of her friends, don't try to lure her into a private conversation, be bold but not too bold and don't flirt. Don't smile or laugh too much, just enough to pique her interest but at the same time don't look nervous, call her name and when she turns around to look at you ask her directly yet shortly, so no stuttering or stammering and make sure you keep away from her range of her _allure_ , which is four feet in all directions. If you're in her range then for her you've invaded her private space without permission and if you start acting even slightly differently it will give you away. Complement her on anything that you find as beautiful, but keep the ball in your court so you can still be in the game and don't tip your hand too early." He told Cedric on what to look for and what not to do.

Cedric being the handsome boy he was, with loads of experience handling women since his third year in Hogwarts, he absorbed Harry's advice like a sponge and knew exactly what to do. "What kind of flowers does she like?" Cedric asked him seriously.

"Glad you asked that, give her one white rose on the day of the ball and keep a gift prepared to give her after the ball and that will make her reward you immensely and it will also allow you to be in your comfort zone while she is around and she won't bother you." He added that important piece of information so to make his plan to work and he got a wide grin from Cedric.

"Thank you Harry, I owe you two." Cedric said and was about to run off, but stopped when Harry called him again.

"Cedric, have you figured out the clue in the egg?" He asked in an almost inaudible tone.

"No Harry, I haven't thought about it yet." Cedric replied sounding curious.

"Try opening it in a different medium." He hinted out to the older champion in a low tone.

"Medium…?" Cedric whispered back questioningly.

"Rarer or denser medium..." He spoke again hintingly and it dawned in Cedric's mind.

"Okay, okay…, I owe you three." Cedric said with a bright grin and ran away in hurry.

With Cedric gone, he walked back to Hermione who was waiting for him near the stairs. But when he reached the stairs she wasn't there and he heard whispers in the nearby corridor. He followed the whispers to the corridor's entrance arch and when she became visible his anger skyrocketed because his girlfriend was being cornered to a wall by Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. He walked right behind them so silently that they didn't have the faintest idea that he was standing merely a foot behind them. Just as he stood behind them, he connected his eyes to Hermione's stubbornly staring eyes from behind the oblivious group of idiots and he conveyed a message to keep her calm.

He tuned into the conversation only to hear Malfoy speaking in a snide tone with a chuckle, "…mudbloods like you shouldn't be talking back to your betters, instead you should be on your knees serving uhhh…!" Malfoy stopped as he felt something pushing to the back of his head and he was very sure that it was the tip of a wand.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you Malfoy, because if you do then your head will disappear just like your already absent spine, you spineless tosser." Harry spoke in a whispering tone that sent shivers down the spines of all four Slytherin idiots.

Crabbe, Goyle and Nott all went for their wands but couldn't find them in their pockets, "Looking for these?" Harry asked and all three turned to find their wands in Potter's left hand.

"Go get them…" He said and he lazily threw all three wands down the grand staircase which was to his right. As the wands fell down the stairs Crabbe, Goyle and Nott all ran behind it to get their wands, while leaving Malfoy alone with him, who was still rooted in his place due to the gripping fear in his heart.

"Run little girl, boo." He whispered to Malfoy's left ear in his evil maniac like tone. Malfoy was wise enough to know that he was outmatched and he immediately bolted away taking the route his friends took mere moments ago.

"That was fun." He said to himself with a hearty chuckle and he glanced at the love of his life.

"Are you alright?" He asked almost jokingly since he had every confidence that Hermione could've handled all our idiots easily, he only did what he did to make an impression.

"You do know that I would've handled it by myself." She spoke to him softly while giving him a loving smile.

"I know I just didn't want you to waste your energy on scum like them. I was thinking of expending our energy on something exciting that we can do tonight." He walked closer and then he gave a peck on the tip of her nose.

"I look forward to it, Mr. Potter." She said with a giggle and then caught hold of his collar and lightly dragged him to 'the room'.

One hour later Harry and Hermione were in the room. Harry was lying on his back on the bed naked and was breathing quite hardly and a naked Hermione collapsed on top of him. He stretched his long right hand over the edge of the bed and took a book that was lying on the ground and once he took it he flipped a few pages and showed it to her.

"What about…that…position?" He asked seductively.

"I…don't know…if I…can…bend my body…to that…angle." Hermione complained out of breath.

"We…can try." He suggested with a sultry smile.

"We…sure…can." She replied with a kiss on his chest where she a lying on.

He took a deep breath and spoke in one flow, "I love you, Mione." She looked at him with a huge grin and she sat up on his chest and she leaned down and kissed him until they both ran out of air and then she exhaled out loud and said.

"I love you, Harry." This time he leaned in and kissed her and he rolled sideways only for both to fall down the bed but neither cared, as they kept kissing.

* * *

 **I'm a little behind in updates I know, but exams are on-going, so I'm really sorry. And before you ask, Fleur will be going with Cedric, yes, and Susan will not be paired with Cedric for now. I have a small plan that requires Harry, Fleur and Cedric, so for that reason Cedric will be paired up with Fleur. Next chapter will be the Yule Ball and trust me there will be some changes and it will more enjoyable, but it will take some time for me update, so I am asking you to be patient. The scene with Draco is to enhance the blonde idiot's grudge on Harry for a future scene that I've planned.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Thank You…**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **This fanfiction will have Harry/Hermione pairing, but it will not be rushed into romance. If you are against Harry/Hermione pairing please don't read this and there will be minor to major 'Weasley' bashing, 'Snape' bashing and 'Dumbledore' bashing, however eventually there will be a grudging truce. I know there are a lot of stories like this out there, but please don't judge me from this, because I'm writing this from my personal view.**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters and review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 ** _Hogsmeade (December 25th)-_**

For the entirety of the last month they practiced and perfected various dance styles for the upcoming Yule Ball. Harry and Hermione both used an unused classroom on the fourth floor for their practice. They practiced styles like Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot and Paso Doble. Harry and Hermione were no strangers to ballroom dancing. Harry over the years has attended numerous ICW meetings in which majority of them had balls. Hermione on the other hand has participated in ballroom dancing with Ronald during her working years in the ministry until her pregnancy of course. Harry and Hermione came up with a way to make their dancing more elegant, they would use of their closeness to make eye contact and utilise Legilimency on each other to anticipate and act accordingly to the others' movements.

Hermione agreed that Harry was an excellent dancer, a talent that he obviously acquired through experience of which she was sure. Harry made no mistakes ever and he was a better dancer than herself and she was impressed. She could barely wait for the next few hours to pass by, tonight their relationship will be public and she was really looking forward to see all the jealous faces of all the girls who have ever lusted over her boyfriend's attention.

But practicing wasn't the only thing they did last month. They found Winky working in the Hogwarts kitchen, they didn't know how she came to work there but without Dobby there to look after the poor elf, Winky was in a very bad shape than last time. He bonded himself with Winky and made agreements to the elf's services much to his girlfriend's vehement protests. Now Winky looked after him and Hermione by always keeping an eye on everyone and alerting them both if anything seemed out of place.

Currently they were sitting on a bench in the empty Hogsmeade station away from the buzzling shops in the village. Before them stood the empty Hogwarts express covered in snow, normally he would've led his girlfriend inside and he would've snogged her senseless until dusk, but two sets of eyes were watching them and he was getting increasingly annoyed.

"Should we call them?" His girlfriend asked him while giving him a knowing look.

"Maybe we should, this has gone long enough and besides tonight everyone would know about us anyway, so I see no harm." He agreed with his girlfriend.

He turned his head right and gave a long narrowed gaze at two disillusioned figures that his glasses showed him quite vividly. "Daphne, Tracey, come out of there, both of you, now." He yelled to them in an ordering yet reprimanding tone.

The two disillusioned figures tried to run and he gave a loud tone, "Girls…" The two figures immediately dropped their illusions, turned around and walked to him nervously.

When they reached him, he asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Hogsmeade station is public property; we can come here whenever we want." Daphne defended herself and her friend fiercely.

"You both know better than to lie to me." He replied in a tone which made them both fidget.

"Harry, we were…" Tracey began trying to make some excuse.

"This is not the first time I've seen you both spying on us." He said before Tracey could lie again.

After a short silence he said with a sigh, "Don't you girls have something better to do than spying? And besides both your dates are searching for you girls in the village…"

"What's going on between you two?" Daphne asked not being able to contain her curiosity anymore.

"Isn't it obvious? She is my girlfriend and we're spending our alone time together." He replied in a tired fashion.

"Since when…?" Tracey asked with a giggle pointed at them, while Daphne looked vexed.

"For a little over a year." He replied as he put a hand over Hermione's shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Daphne asked sounding more than a little agitated.

"Do you think we'd have had any free private time, if we had made our relationship public a year ago? And besides you both knew, you just chose not to acknowledge the fact." He replied in an obvious tone.

Hermione smiled at his boyfriend, she would never get tired of hearing her Harry being sincere. "Come on let's go back to the village." He stood as he guided his disappointed girlfriend up.

They all walked back to the village when both the girls felt guilty for leaving their dates unattended, so they separated and walked away to meet their respective dates. While him and Hermione proceeded towards 'the three broomsticks' to spend some time with his friends before the ball. After almost an hour, Hermione whispered into his ears about having to go and get ready for the ball, he told Neville that he was going to escort Hermione to the castle and with that they both excused themselves.

* * *

 ** _Gryffindor Common Room (7:30p.m)-_**

Harry walked downstairs in his tailored black dress robes; with over his black coat was a shiny greyish-silver woollen cape like half-cloak with a thick long stylish fur-like neck that covered his neck, while the half-cape itself only extending a little over his waist, it was to keep him warm. He had a guess that this ball was going to be a lot _cooler_ than last time, because the ICW members will be participating in the ball.

He turned to look at the girls' dormitory's stairs just in time to see his girlfriend elegantly descending down, wearing a dark violet yet shiny dress robes with a barely visible pink edges and her hair was sleek, shiny and twisted in an elegant knot. Around her neck was the diamond studded platinum necklace with the matching set of earrings dangling on her ears. Almost everyone in the common room turned to look at her simultaneously with surprise etched on their faces, whereas he smiled proudly at his girlfriend.

"Hello Gorgeous." He said soft with a broad smile marring his face. He slid his hand into his inner left coat pocket which was under 'extension' and from inside he pulled another woollen cape like half-cloak similar to his own but this was made of a shiny yet pure white leather with furry woollen edges. As he pulled it out, he wore it around her in a swinging motion and clipped it around her neck with a thin thread like strap, so that it didn't spoil the view of her sexy neckline or her beautiful necklace.

"Hi Handsome..." She replied while taking hold of his hand and they intertwined their fingers together and then they both walked out of the portrait hole leaving behind a stunned crowd in the common room.

Among the crowd was one Ronald Weasley who now looked more miserable than ever. Until a few minutes ago he never would've agreed Hermione Granger to be beautiful, but now he would gladly admit that she was the embodiment of beauty. He always thought that Harry was just using her for his own needs, but now he could see that Harry snagged her when he could without leaving anything to chance. He sat there watching all of his previous classmates going to the ball one by one and a few of his present classmates accompanying the other year students. He was a third year hence he had no authority to go on his own until any fourth year girl or above asks him to accompany them to the Ball. He often used to wonder what Harry had that he didn't and usually he made it a point to ask anyone about it, but now he was afraid to shoot that question to anyone like he used to, because Harry Potter was terrifying in his own right.

After his seventh year friends got smart enough to understand that they never stood a chance against Harry, they wisely stood down and 'the group' was effectively disbanded. Since then he has been alone with no friends or acquaintances or anything to attract anyone for that matter and above all that he was branded as a complete failure by his own house. He knew that he was going to spend one lonely Christmas, as he regretted not going home when he could.

* * *

 ** _Entrance of the Great Hall-_**

"You know, if I manage to stay awake through this ball without having a brain meltdown, we can have so much fun that you'll never forget about this night in your life." He said to her as they walked down the stairs to the entrance of the great hall, while Hermione just giggled at him shyly.

"Mister Potter and Miss Granger, it's good that you're both here early." McGonagall said to them both hurriedly.

"Now stand behind Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory here…" McGonagall instructed so he and Hermione simply stood behind the first pair. Just as they took their positions, Cedric slightly turned behind and gave him a knowing half look which he interpreted as a 'thank you'.

All eyes of the couples on the entrance were on the champions; all the boys were staring at either Fleur or Hermione giving them a well-hidden lust filled look, while the girls were giving him and Cedric some flattering yet uncomforting sultry looks. He noticed Tracey standing there with Blaise Zabini and Daphne standing there with Roger Davies and Luna with Neville and Susan with Justin. He gave a look to Hermione, while opening his Occulumency channel for them to communicate. He was about to start a conversation about the oddity of pairing compared to last time, but before he could begin his girlfriend pointed out that they have to be undistracted to make this night a memorable one and he was one hundred per cent on board with her on that idea.

Finally Krum walked into the castle towards the hall's entrance with a beautiful Durmstrang girl in hand. McGonagall instructed Krum to stand behind him and Hermione, while he and Hermione simultaneously used their Legilimency probes on Krum and the thoughts the Durmstrang champion kept thinking of Hermione were not appreciated. At the exact minute of eight, the door opened and they all walked inside as all the others clapped and cheered at the champions.

Meanwhile Hermione was enjoying listening to the thoughts of all the girls who were jealous of her being with Harry. She didn't care what the boys thought of her, as the only thoughts that mattered to her were Harry's own and nothing else. She was connected to Harry's mind; hence she could tap into Harry's range of Legilimency to read any mind that is within it, if she wishes. Meanwhile Harry was taking pleasure in the disappointed thoughts of all the boys who thought of Hermione as less than beautiful before tonight and he was going to rub it in their faces.

The three pair of couples walked through the great hall towards the separate tables arranged for the guests and champions on the teachers' dining area away from the ballroom floor. They were led to the centre table among the various tables. He pulled the chair for Hermione to sit and when she was seated he pulled a chair beside her and sat nearby her and he unbuttoned his coat for comfort. The seat beside him was empty whereas beside Hermione sat Fleur, and all the judges joined in with them. Mr. Baker sat beside him, followed by Bagman, Percy, Dumbledore, Maxime and Karkaroff exactly in that order.

Meanwhile all the ICW members took their seat on the nearby tables, filling the dining area with conversation, laughter and various dins. The feast began, and everybody began ordering their preferred dishes, he said, "Salad." And a bowl of salad appeared and he started dining, he didn't want to eat anything heavy as they had a dance to attend to, he once had a dreadful experience of stumbling and falling down on the dance floor and breaking his nose, all because he ate too much. It was a summer ball in 2002 and he didn't want to dance, so he decided to eat too much and avoid the dance entirely hoping to give a solid reason to his date, but it backfired terribly. His date being the bossy woman she was, pulled him into the dance floor forcefully and when he was halfway through the dance he burped loudly which startled his date and she in return startled him and they both lost their balance and fell on the ground. It was embarrassing, painful and he learned a few things from the incident, which was never to eat heavily before a dance.

Hermione giggled slightly in amusement to his memory of falling down on the dance floor, she saw the whole incident as if she was there and she listened to every ill thing he thought about his date after the dance was over, when she was reliving his memory. He looked at her and gave a smiled which meant that he was accepting defeat and that he didn't want to begin an argument with her regarding the story behind the memory.

Fifteen minutes into the feast he began his conversation with his girlfriend, since talking to her via Legilimency was earning them a few interested looks from Dumbledore and Madam Maxime. "Hermione, do you see the short man with a long light blonde hair on the third table from us?" He asked her silently.

"The one who looks like a short yet plump, Malfoy…?" She asked for a clarification and he nodded to her affirmatively.

"That's Hector Dagworth-Granger. The creator of Potioneering committee in the ICW…" He pointed out to her.

"He looks nothing like me or my father." She remarked after a few discreet glances.

"That's to be expected isn't it?" He replied to her easing her slight confusion.

"Of course, I just thought maybe he would resemble someone in my family. Last time Slughorn did ask me if I was related to him and if he thought so then there must have been a reason?" She quipped at him playfully and he rolled his eyes at her immaturely.

It wasn't until Fleur and Cedric got up that they understood that the feast was almost over and the dance was about to begin. He quickly got up and led his girlfriend to the ballroom floor. And then the music began, the music was of swing style with a tempo of two beats per second and they began with Foxtrot. Slowly they began by weaving and moving smoothly, and then they progressed with quick steps on their toes, with six consecutive steps they danced as they got attuned to a flowing motion. Ten minutes into the dance the music turned romantic but with a tempo of three beats per second, and all three couples simultaneously resorted to Viennese Waltz slowing from their respective styles.

Suddenly during the waltz all the ICW members clapped which the students followed behind and he knew what was about to happen, _"Here comes."_

 _"What comes, Honey?"_ She asked him through their mental link.

He opened another piece of his thoughts and showed her what was about to happen and she looked at him in shock, _"Harry, I don't know how to do that."_

Before he could answer to her question, flakes of snow started to fall from the ceiling which looked like a beautiful night sky touched by the moonlight, the snowflakes fell around the ballroom and the floor in the middle started to freeze almost immediately. He waved his hand over their legs in a swift sweeping motion while the dance, and skates made of ice appeared on the soles of their footwear. He expected this beforehand, so he had already retrofitted her heels and his shoe for a better and comfortable experience.

 _"Harry, I don't know how to skate like this. I've gone skiing before, but that's all, I haven't danced like this ever."_ She mentally ranted and he heard her patiently.

 _"Hermione Jean Granger, do you trust me?"_ He asked her giving a comforting smile.

 _"I do."_ She replied with a soft smile.

 _"Then, stay close to me and follow my lead. You won't be any more than one arm's length from me all the time, so you have nothing to worry about. I'm here my love."_ He reassured her and he got a scared smile, but her other expressions were calm.

Viktor and his date both disengaged and went out of the icy floor not knowing how to dance like this. Viktor has seen several of such events, but he has never attempted to try it in fear of being embarrassed at something he wasn't good at. Sadly Viktor's date too was inexperienced in this, so she gladly agreed to disengage rather than embarrass them. Fleur knew of this scenario beforehand from her father so she was prepared for this and since she was prepared Cedric too was comfortable with it.

The music was fast but the tempo at three beats per second, so they first skated around slowly to get used to the sudden change of feeling and finally when they were ready they began. He instructed her on spot on what to do and when she was in position, he swung her and he spun with his knees on a half bend. He used his magic to guide her while maintaining the speed and to contrive her movements to keep the elegance in their dance. Meanwhile Fleur and Cedric were doing better than them, Fleur was obviously experienced than him as if she had a recent touch and Cedric was no pushover and their eye hand coordination was perfect and so was their teamwork. Their dance wasn't very sloppy; in fact it was great but not too great, their dancing skills were fair, even when their ice dance was on spot there was nothing to scoff at. He and Hermione lifted their alternate legs in a slight slanting position and they spun several times as they moved and he lifted her off of her feet and he attempted a rotational dance lift and it was successful and they both landed beautifully.

Just then the music stopped cheers and claps erupted from all the viewers. The music started again and this time almost all the ICW members moved in onto the icy floor with their respective dates. And within seconds, the entire icy floor was occupied by various couples who were all ice dancing in concentric circles with one circle inside the other, the entire setup resembled like Viennese waltz included into figure skating. A few minutes later they both disengaged from the floor as they were a little tired of dancing for the last hour.

He banished the skates just as they reached the steady floor and he led her to the tables on the side of the floor. He felt Hermione's feeling of unease as everyone around them was watching with awe in their eyes. He wasn't bothered as he was used to this kind of attention from everyone while dancing. She wanted to stay close to him and he had no intention of leaving her alone, because Viktor was waiting for the opportunity to come and ask his girlfriend for a dance when she was alone. Just then, Fleur and Cedric disengaged from their dance and skated to them and when they reached steady ground they struggled a little until they too banished their ice skates.

"Hi Harry." Cedric greeted him.

"Hi Cedric…" He greeted back to the older champion.

"Meet my date as well as my girlfriend, Hermione Granger." He introduced her to Cedric and Fleur.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hermione. Harry, Hermione meet my date, Fleur Delacour." Cedric introduced Fleur to them.

"Likewise Cedric… Hello Fleur!" Hermione replied to Cedric and greeted the female champion.

"Hi Fleur..." He greeted Fleur.

"Ello 'Arry, 'Ermione…" Fleur greeted them both.

"We'll get you both something to drink." Cedric said and dragged him to the table to get some drinks, while he kept his Legilimency active to keep an eye on Krum and just when he walked away Krum's courage hyped and he decided to walk to Hermione and ask her for a dance. But he cleverly induced some fearful thoughts into Krum's mind via his Legilimency probes and that was enough to keep the Quidditch champion standing there stewing on his own worries. Krum had Occulumency barriers, but it was nothing he would worry about.

"Great dancing you two…" He commented on Cedric's and Fleur's dancing skills.

"You would be too; if you had spent every spare minute you could find practicing with Fleur." Cedric replied back sounding almost tiredly.

"You've got to admit Cedric, it's worth the effort." He said to the older champion.

"Oh please Harry, don't tell me that you would prefer dancing every day over playing Quidditch." Cedric asked alarmed by his casual tone.

He was about to answer but Cedric added, "And before you answer consider this, don't take into account what your girlfriend might think about it. Answer me not as a boy with a girlfriend, but as a boy with no responsibilities or duties whatsoever."

"My perfect day…?"

"Yes."

"My prefect day will be playing exploding snaps for the whole day with a bunch of friends and loads of firewhiskey, while talking about Quidditch and girls…, _if_ I was a boy with no girlfriend." He said in a tone, which sounded as if he was recalling his old memories.

"Just thinking about such a situation brings out such happy memories…Harry." Cedric spoke with a longing sigh.

"Women don't understand us men do they?" He asked standing among the crowd.

"Not one bit I'd say." Cedric agreed wholeheartedly.

"They think that all our activities are boring, but they would talk about their dress, shoes and jewelleries and not to mention celebrity gossip and most of all they would do it for days long and they wouldn't even be remotely finished." Cedric complained out loud.

"You sound tired, Cedric. If you don't like what you're doing then you shouldn't." He felt sorry for the elder boy, but he had more experience in this matter than anything else and advice was the best he could give.

Cedric just sighed and replied, "It's not that I don't like being with Fleur, trust me I like it. We have loads in common, but not everything and we're fine with that. I'm a perfectionist while she's the exact opposite. Strangely enough our combination works really well; our conversations are good and so is our dates and our physical intimacy is comfortable, as it doesn't feel too rushed or too slow, it's just enough. It's just that sometimes she has this binge behaviour where she has no control of herself whatsoever and I'm the one who has to suffer."

"What do you need, Cedric? Expert advice or brief answer…?" He asked to the older boy who looked really uncomfortable to ask the question.

After a long pause Cedric asked, "Brief answer…"

"Congratulations my friend…, you're in love." He answered seriously and shook his hand with a stunned looking boy.

That's when Harry noticed that they were still exactly where they began, the queue hasn't shortened and people were getting drinks; the counter where the drinks were placed was crowded as a lot of boys were trying to get a glass for their dates. "What are we waiting here for?"

"Getting drinks for our dates of course." Cedric answered in an obvious tone.

"I'm an idiot… Why are we here standing to get drinks when we can just make a better cocktail?" He asked to Cedric and immediately walked right to the nearest table and took a plate that had fruits and also a few stemware glasses.

"Cedric get that bottle of 'mulled mead' would you?" He asked and Cedric simply took the bottle and followed behind Harry, since he knew better than to ask his fellow champion for an explanation.

They walked back to their dates, they were both standing near a round table while talking and laughing with eachother. He wasn't surprised; Hermione knew how to speak fluent French, so he assumed connecting with Fleur must have been easy enough. He walked to them and placed the fruit plate on the table and Cedric placed the bottle of 'mulled mead' beside it. He noticed that they were standing alone, as he took note of the vast number of couples on the dance floor and that's when he realised that the icy floor for the ice dance was now gone and it was a regular dance floor.

Fleur was about to ask the boys about their drinks, but she saw Hermione's smile and followed her gaze to Harry near the table behind them. Harry took his wand and nonverbally transfigured the glassware on the table into required items for the preparation of a cocktail. Harry took two bottles from inside his coat pocket and placed them on the table. And then he took the Cobbler shaker and started adding the ounces of beverages from all three bottles and he added some large ice cubes and then he closed the lid and started shaking it. After fifteen seconds of shaking later, he stopped and opened the lid and poured the shaken drink into four Sherry glasses. He sliced a green apple and he slowly scraped a very thin layer of the apple's flesh and he rolled it carefully and dropped one of those rolls on each of the four glasses.

"Would you like to have a try?" He asked in a fake sarcastic tone sporting a grin on his face to the staring group and all three unhesitatingly took a glass and tasted it.

"Zis is nice." Fleur was the first one to comment.

"The green apple garnish gives a different tinge of sweetness to the drink, a sweetness that stands outside the mixed sweetness of mulled mead and the bitterness of the alcohol. This is divine Harry…" Cedric finished the glass after the first trial tasting, but he savoured every sip of it. Hermione looked proudly as it was her boyfriend who was being overly impressive among the crowd.

"What's divine?" Fred asked as he came to their sides out of nowhere. Fred wasn't alone; George, Angelina, Katie, Neville, Luna, Susan and Justin were all there with him.

Cedric turned to look at the crowd who were now standing with them, seeing Fred he answered, "Harry just made this new cocktail for us and I was saying how good it was."

"What cocktail Harry?" George and Neville immediately asked simultaneously.

"I guess I should make more…" Harry simply said and this time he drew his wand and transfigured enough items and then he gave a lazy wave and they began to make the cocktail that he prepared before. Just five minutes later, everyone had a glass in their hands and they tasted his creation and needless to say they were impressed.

"I have to say Harry; I'm honestly tired of witnessing your multiple talents." Justin said taking the last sip of the cocktail.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He replied with an amused smile.

"It was meant to…" Justin replied in an obvious tone.

"Well then you have a weird way of saying that, mate. And judging by the way how Harry here didn't take offense to your comment I'd say he already read your mind." George said sounding obvious in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, I read everyone's mind that I find interesting, Justin's no exception… In fact this cocktail is the result of my mindreading skills, this was originally Madam Rosmerta's idea; I just improvised it a little by adding Gin and Tequila into the recipe instead of Rum and Firewhiskey." He said casually to everyone's surprise.

"Do you ever refrain from using your mindreading skills on anyone, Harry?" Cedric asked as he was wholly uncomfortable with Harry's view on intruding into anyone's privacy.

"No…, but don't worry, I never look into anyone's personal memories or thoughts. Besides it's just not how you use it, it's who you use it on what matters more." He assured the boy who was uncomfortable with his methods.

Fleur distracted Cedric by asking him of whom Rosmerta was and the older champion began explaining to his date. He noticed a few couples disengaging from the dance floor and he telepathically asked his girlfriend for another bout and she agreed before he could even finish his question and so they excused from the group and he swiftly led her to the dance floor. Susan, Justin, Angelina, Fred, Katie and George all followed behind them, while Luna and Neville moved to a silent corner for a quick snog.

They both danced for another hour and finally when they were too tired to continue anymore fast dancing, he led her out of the great hall not before kissing her in front of the whole school. He took her out to the garden and there they enjoyed each other's presence under the magically induced bluish white light, which he guessed it to bear a semblance to moonlight. Neither spoke a word; they simply enjoyed the beautiful silence under the mistletoe, where his lips found hers in a comfortable position.

Suddenly he felt a feeling of unsettledness that put him on the edge of his calm mind. He couldn't describe the feeling or even comprehend it, but all of a sudden he started worrying over Hermione's safety for no apparent reason. He subtly checked the safety of his surroundings via every spell he could think off, he read the minds of every person in the vicinity that he could touch and observed everyone else for any suspicious anomalies in their behaviours via body movements, skin temperature and pupil dilation. The feeling didn't pass away after a while like he expected it to, no, by each passing minute he felt more worried.

When it was late enough, he took the time-turner that he borrowed from his girlfriend and he wore it on both their necks and they went back in time. He quietly ordered Winky to apparate him and Hermione to the Granger residence and the elf did as ordered.

* * *

 ** _Granger Residence-_**

Harry and Hermione appeared in front of her house to her utter surprise. She looked at him curiously and he answered, "I promised your mother that I would bring you here for Christmas and I always keep my promises." She slowly tangled her arm into his and stood there with him. She could sense that something was bothering him for some other reason, but she didn't ask him as she knew that he would tell her if he thought it needed her attention.

With that he knocked on the door and a few minutes later the door swung open and Emma was standing there with a huge smile etched on her face. "I'm glad that you both came." She engulfed them both into a wolf hug and pulled them inside.

"I did make a promise, didn't I?" He asked casually with a bright smile, but Emma too sensed the tension in his tone.

When they reached the dining room, they were surprised to see Sirius, Remus, Amelia and Rosalie were all there. They all greeted eachother and got acquainted; he noticed Remus looked healthier and happier than ever, Remus's hair was well cut and neat, skin wasn't pale anymore and he was dressed properly with a better sense of fashion. But most importantly Remus and Rosalie looked close as if they were more than just acquaintances.

After their time in Brazil during last summer, Emma extended them all an advanced invitation for Christmas and Mrs. Granger specifically contacted him via 'Lisa' the owl he gifted them for last Christmas and reminded him of the Christmas invitation.

"Dan, look who's here." Mrs. Granger called out to her husband who quickly came down the stairs to see his daughter and Harry. Dan pulled Hermione into a hug and then shook his hand.

"Thank you Harry, for bringing Hermione…" Dan said to him and with that they all sat at the dining table for dinner.

"My pleasure, Mr. Granger…" He replied with a smile.

"How was the 'Ball', pup?" Sirius asked noticing their ball dress being ruffled a little.

"Exhausting…" He replied and he got a mock glare from Hermione so he added, "…and fun."

"Will you both either be staying here for the night or going back to school?" Emma asked curiously as she really wanted to talk to her daughter about a few things that she heard from Rosalie and Amelia.

"Depends on what time we want to go back, mum. There are no classes and I'm pretty sure that tomorrow's breakfast will be almost empty, because most of us won't be waking up any early after tonight's Ball. So maybe we can stay…" Hermione replied to her mother quickly and looked at him and he nodded distractedly.

Right then the roasted turkey and various other dishes arrived on the table and the Christmas dinner began. The dinner was a very happy affair, where Remus, Sirius and Dan started drinking and continued their boisterous conversation. Emma, Hermione, Rosalie and Amelia were talking among themselves about many things in their silent conversation, but mostly asking Hermione about the Diamond necklace and earrings. While he stood outside watching the stars as the sense of unease he felt earlier kept looming over his mind. He couldn't pin it down or put a stop to it and he hated that feeling.

They both decided to spend the night at Hermione's home and he was in no hurry to go back to school just yet. When it was late, Amelia, Rosalie, Sirius and Remus decided to call it a night and were about to leave and that's when they noticed Harry's absence. Once they found him outside they all said their goodbyes and went home but not before inquiring if everything was alright. Dan prepared the spare room for him to spend the night with Hermione's room opposite to his. Finally they all retired for the night, he couldn't shake away the frustrated feeling as he fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

 ** _New Forest-_**

 _It was almost dawn, the forest looked bleak with dry ash coloured leaves covering almost every inch of the forest. There was a pit with a depth of forty yards in the middle of the forest, the sides weren't steep and the tree roots that protruded from the ground gave a good grip for anyone who would want to climb up or down. The pit looked like it was ravaged by war, half burnt trees lying desolate, huge craters and holes on the various sides of the pit, shattered boulders scattered across it and with blood sprayed and stained on the ground._

 _Around the pit stood nine cloaked figures wearing metal masks and pointed black caps, down in the middle of the pitch stood a tall figure and another figure seated on the ground leaning on a boulder as if resting. The figure standing in the middle of the pit had a bald head with red slitted eyes wearing a black cloak; this person was none other than the Lord Voldemort. The person who was seated wore a red shirt and black pants; he was holding his bleeding stomach with his left hand, which had a deep horizontal gash on it. He was supporting himself to the ground with his other hand; his glasses were missing and his face was injured._

 _"I'm impressed, Harry, I truly am. I never expected for you to put up such an exciting fight." Voldemort commented with a short laugh._

 _"I guess I'm lucky." He replied with a mocking modesty._

 _"Luck, is it?" Voldemort barked out laughing and laughed manically for a few minutes._

 _"You duelled sixteen of my men and me from an abundantly disadvantageous position, you stalled the fight for hours which should have ended within mere minutes. Not to mention the fact that you killed seven of my best men during that time. You were salvaging the danger of your position until you fell down this pit and succumbed to the effects of my power and I strongly suspect that it wasn't your injury that slowed you down, no, it was your depleted magical core that did it. I don't think luck had anything to do with your performance, boy." Voldemort paid a compliment seeing the boy's cold glare._

 _"You should be proud of yourself, Harry. Even Dumbledore would've quickly succumbed to my attacks with such odds mounted against him." Voldemort chuckled at his ignoring look._

 _"Why give a speech to a dead man, Tom?" He asked sporting a mocking grin, as he uttered his enemy's real name._

 _"You know who I am?" Voldemort asked in an even tone with no amusement on his face._

 _"One always finds out what he can about his parents' murderer, Tom Marvolo Riddle." He said softly._

 _"I must apologise. I misjudged you greatly; I always thought that the legend of Harry Potter was nothing more than a false interpretation of my carelessness. But now I understand, you truly deserve your fame, you've earned it or to be more precise, your fame earned you, but still here you are under the mercy of my wand, 'the great prophesied one'." Voldemort mocked him again and laughed while the death eaters laughed joining in with their master's amusement._

 _Voldemort stopped laughing as he saw Harry's narrowed eyes, "Oh my, Dumbledore hasn't told you have he? You've put your faith in the wrong man, Harry. I'm not blind; I can classify talent when I see it and I don't let it go waste unless necessary. We aren't that different Harry, we're sorcerers, a power that manifests higher than normal mages; we are the gifts of our respective generations. Individually we will be looked upto. But together we can be legends, gods even. Together we can even be the unstoppable forces of nature. Together…we can control both life and death and rule this world and this world needs proper governing. All you have to do is give in to the darkness that looms in the shadows of your mind. Give in, Harry."_

 _"I am nothing like you, monster." He replied back impassively._

 _"Monster, am I?" Voldemort asked with a snake-like grin._

 _"People like us have great power and with such power must come 'the will to act'. Ask yourself, this, do you have the 'will to act', Harry?" Voldemort asked him condescendingly._

 _"'Will to act' as in doing terrible things without a second's hesitation? Call me old-fashioned, but I'll pass on your sodding offer. I'd rather wait for you to join me in hell." He replied back with a mocking smile._

 _"Pity…, I thought you were different, but I cannot always be right, can I?" Voldemort commented with his mocking grin still in place and raised his wand to Harry's head and said, "Avada Kedavra!"_

 _Harry faced straight ahead of him and looked blankly, and then he simply smiled and closed his eyes softly and felt a mild electric shock reverberating through his body as it started from his face and everything went black._

* * *

He woke up in cold sweat and he frantically looked around to find something to punch and he found himself in a room he couldn't realise, as his head whirled. He got up from his bed and opened the door and went to the hall, he found it calm and serene with no rubble lying around, and it was colder than usual. He took his wand out and opened Hermione's bedroom door, he walked inside to see his love of his life sleeping peacefully. He kneeled near her bed and rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand, he felt a deep pain in his heart as he remembered the loop of images, a knife going through her head and killing her instantly.

He forcefully pushed that image off of his mind and numbly walked out of the room and proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. Once he checked the whole neighbourhood for anything out of the ordinary and sweeping the house for anything magical that was bewitched, he calmed down a little. He made some strong coffee as he needed caffeine in his system to keep himself active. Once he finished his second cup and poured himself a third, he got his mind back on track. The last thing he remembered was using the 'time-warp charm' in Hermione's room. He had no idea of how long he has travelled back; he closed his eyes and concentrated on his memories.

Then he noticed that the house looked like it was decorated for Christmas and judging by the snow outside he knew it was winter and once he checked for his dress robes, he was sure that it was Yule-ball night and not the Christmas he spent with them the year before. So by his calculation, he came six months back in time, as it was the most probable of times he spent with the Grangers.

Suddenly he felt his eyes becoming heavier and head spinning, he took his wand out to find the intruder who must have cast a spell on him, but he found no one. Eventually he gave into his tiredness and he slumped on the kitchen counter and he fell on his face.

* * *

 ** _Mind Palace-_**

 _He opened his eyes and found himself standing inside a very familiar castle, a castle that closely resembled his 'Occulumency Barrier/Structure'. This was how his memory palace looked like and he immediately surmised what was happening._

 _He walked to the central hall of the house and there he opened a cupboard filled with wine bottles and then arranged half-filled wine bottles in specific spaces of the cupboard. Once he finished arranging, the entire cupboard moved forward and slid toward the left revealing a doorway. He walked in and then down the stairs to his private/secret room. Down there just as he expected there were two others, the first and shortest one was sitting in a comfy armchair near the fireplace. The second and taller one was standing and watching the portrait of his parents exactly opposite to the fireplace._

 _The first one was the personification of a fourteen year old Harry Potter, from this timeline before the timeline was changed by the first time-warp event. He lived the last four years in Harry's mind as a prisoner, but with enough power to influence his older self's mind from within. The second one was the image of a thirty four year old Harry Potter who was here because of the first time-travel. He was the Harry Potter who came back in time with Hermione and changed the timeline. And finally he himself was the future-Harry who came back after being kidnapped during the third task of the Triwizard tournament, he looked just like the second-Harry but with the only addition of an uneven upside down 'v' shaped scar on his left cheek._

 _The second-Harry who was staring at the portrait turned around and faced his other two counterparts and said, "Well this explains a lot."_

 _"I'm from the latest future; I came to this timeline just minutes ago." Future-Harry said trying to sound polite._

 _"No shit bruv." Second-Harry replied in an accepting tone._

 _"Looks like we have our foul-mouth from the future mate... If you don't mind me asking, at what point of time did I come back to?" Future-Harry asked carefully to confirm his analysis._

 _"Six months… You've just come six months back in time. It's Christmas. It's late Yule-ball night at Granger Residence, just as you thought. I saw through a few of your memories." Second-Harry said coolly._

 _"Thank you, that's comforting, but why can't I see into your memories?" Future-Harry asked curiously._

 _"How the hell should l know? Maybe I'm protecting my mind from being read? Now bruv, would you care to explain what the fuck's going on here?" Second-Harry asked irritated by the complexity of the situation._

 _"You said you saw through my memories then you know why I'm here." Future-Harry reasoned coolly._

 _"I know why you're here. How and why 'we' are standing here as three separate people in what looks like our 'mind palace'. And for your information I only saw through a few selected memories, not all of them." Second-Harry replied in an annoyed tone as he corrected the question, while pointing his finger at his fourteen year old counterpart._

 _"Isn't it bloody obvious? We have separate souls." Future-Harry replied in a monotone._

 _"So including the Horcrux, we now have four souls in our body." Second-Harry reasoned logically._

 _"Yes, three full souls and one soul piece…" Future-Harry said patiently._

 _"And you think this is important, care to explain why?" Second-Harry asked as he couldn't understand the reason for what he saw in his future-self's memories._

 _"It's important for you to understand this clearly. First of all remember, souls are something from beyond this earth, it's something we can't even begin to comprehend. Souls cannot be merged or melded together, even if they are the very same souls from different points in time. If souls can be merged then the Horcrux would have merged with our souls a long time ago. The only thing we can do is unite the minds and base consciousness of the different souls into one single cognizance, while the individual souls will stay separate. Initially like now, in my timeline there were two Harry Potter souls, one fourteen year old and the other was my thirty four year old from the future, but we mutually agreed to meld our minds and base consciousness together to work as one. I completely absorbed his mind and we became one. So now, my soul has the base consciousness for personifying an image in my mind, while my twin's soul turned out to be like a dementor-kissed victim, but with a soul and no consciousness, like it has no image to be personified. And before you ask, the soul of my fourteen year old twin from my timeline isn't here; two souls being pushed to a higher dimension will not cover a longer distance while time-travel like with Hermione's case and also because I didn't have much magic left for sending two spirits back in time." Future-Harry explained the details. First and Second Harry looked like they understood what was going on between them._

 _"Well as I said before, it makes a lot of sense. I've always been unsatisfied and a little too agitated about my own decisions over the last four years. For example how I felt so sad about my mess of a life in the last timeline which is something I would have never looked back to, since there is nothing productive in relieving those memories. And especially for why I even cared to not kill all those fuckers who wronged me in the future or in the past." Second-Harry paused for a second and pointed his finger at First-Harry and then continued angrily, "I'm assuming that this foolish naïve runt here influenced every single one of my thoughts and decisions that I made out there, am I right?"_

 _"Yes, he did. He influenced your thoughts, opinions and feelings consistently and you couldn't find his presence because he was deep inside your mind, no matter how much time you spent trying to modify and strengthen you Occulumency barriers. It's just like how 'we' never found the Horcrux that was inside of us. I know you're angry, but think of it from his point of view. After eleven years of suffering at the hands of 'our' relatives he was so hopeful of beginning another new life at Hogwarts and then 'you' come back in time and possessed his body and then took control of it without him even being able to put up a fight. And our mother's blood protection didn't help him like it did with the Horcrux, because you were her son just like him. And even then he only started influencing you after he realised that he had no chance of regaining control of his own body back. How would you have felt and what would you have done, if you were in that position?" Future-Harry asked to the second Harry logically trying to clip some anger off._

 _"Don't try guilt tripping me or justifying his action, because of him I almost botched up on many things. Things that I came back to change in this timeline." Second-Harry said in a brutally cruel tone._

 _"We've never killed someone innocent consciously, particularly when there is justice on their side." Future-Harry stepped in between the Second and the First._

 _"I wasn't going to kill him; I was going to put him in his place." Second-Harry replied to his future-self._

 _"Which is more or less the same thing, when it comes to our methods in use…? I know that I'm not the right person to explain this to you and that I'm not as patient as mum. I want to merge my consciousness with you both and unite our minds as one, but that cannot happen unless you both merge it yourself like I myself did it with my counterpart in my timeline. Two different unrefined minds residing in one body is a disaster, trust me I know, I got killed because of it. In our case one body, one mind, but three separate souls and one Horcrux, then and only then will we be fine." Future-Harry explained in a neutral tone._

 _"You said something about mum?" First-Harry asked in an unconcerned yet slightly interested tone, whereas Second-Harry didn't look the least bit interested._

 _"Mum was the one who helped me realise the problem with my mind in my timeline. When Voldemort cast the killing curse, the Horcrux in my head died and I met our mum in the Limbo because of our mum's magic existing in us via the blood protection on the skin, she also explained to me why we met Dumbledore last time. She was the one who advised me and my counterpart to merge our minds and work together in order to achieve our goals. It is the best thing that can happen to us, trust me." Future-Harry explained hoping that both would agree._

 _"Let's say we do this, what will be the end result and what benefits do we have with this?" Second-Harry asked calmly and interestedly._

 _"Having one completely independent and fully functioning cognizance with three souls and one Horcrux will be 'the heaven-sent gift' one can ever hope to get. Having three full souls in one body will induce out mind into a 'possession state', just like if a ghost has possessed us. It will increase our brain functions to levels beyond that of norm and it will also unlock certain parts of our brains that we humans can't access on our own. It will give us paranormal powers like telekinesis, hypnosis and extrasensory perception and it will also exponentially increase our control over our own magic to levels beyond our imagination. Physically, it will enhance us in every way; it'll give us extraordinary strength, speed, stamina, precision, and power…needless to say the list goes on. I know that we already have most of the enhancements due to our steady refinement over the years, but this is something on a whole another level, it'll literally improve us. Most importantly, it will also give us certain immunity over the killing curse for maybe three times. And to put a cherry on top, we can invade a certain dark lord's Horcrux's mind and steal or learn every shred of information and experiences while we are still here, because when we go out of this place as 'one person', we won't be able find Voldemort's soul piece again." Future-Harry said with an expectant smile on his face._

 _First and Second-Harry looked stunned at the future-Harry's explanation. Second-Harry immediately looked at his younger twin and stretched his right hand and asked hurriedly, "We're good right?" First-Harry took his counterpart's hand and shook it, he agreed before he even finished and said quickly, "Of course we are." While future-Harry gave a deadpanned look to his two counterparts._

 _"What about Hermione? Does she have this same problem too?" Second-Harry asked to Future-Harry._

 _"Yes, she does, but I think that it would be better if we merge our minds and find out, as it takes too darn long to explain it in words." Future-Harry replied carefully and both First and Second-Harry nodded in agreement._

 _"What should we do?" First-Harry asked to the Future-Harry._

 _"Before that, I think it's better to invade and rip apart the mind of a certain Horcrux before we merge, because once we do, we won't be able to come back to our 'mind palace' to this cataleptic level again." Future-Harry said and again they agreed to the future and wiser self._

 _They all proceeded out of the secret room and then towards the underground cellar were the Horcrux's image laid shackled by their mother's magic. In the cellar there was a prison cell, inside which there laid a small blood covered form of Voldemort's baby-like physical self. Second and Future-Harry glanced at each other and then nodded affirmatively. They both simultaneously heaved on a Legilimency attack on the Horcrux's soul's mind; Future-Harry's attack weakened the Occulumency barrier while the Second-Harry's Legilimency probe got in easily. Once both Harry Potters were inside Voldemort's mind, they learned everything they could from it. What they both learned inside Voldemort's mind was phenomenal, several mysteries of the magical and the mundane world were solved, several pieces of knowledge which was thought to be lost was found, it showed them why Voldemort was a true genius. Second and Future-Harry sat down on the cellar floor to regain their bearings and when they did, they both decided that it was time to meld their minds for the collective good of Harry Potter's body and mind._

 _"Let's mutually agree that it is better to merge our consciousness together. Just think of giving complete access to each of our minds and the merging process will begin by itself." Future-Harry instructed and all three Harry Potters followed the instructions simultaneously by opening up their minds and slowly their minds began to meld together as one. First and Second Harry slowly started to disappear until there was no one left, whereas the Future-Harry who now looked younger, but more powerful than ever before, slowly opened his eyes._

* * *

 ** _Kitchen (Granger Residence)-_**

Harry opened his eyes to find himself lying in the kitchen counter with the cup of coffee in his hand, now cold. He felt amazing, excited and hopeful about his new chance at life. Six months back in time again and the journey ahead to the event that led him to use the time-warp charm looked exhausting, but frankly he was sure that the next six months would move past him like a steam from a tea kettle.

This time, he promised himself that he will keep Hermione, Sirius and all the people he cares about safe, once he is done everyone will think twice before they even have the idea of coming after anyone he cares about. This time he was going to help Hermione recognize her own powers and they were going to be prepared for what's coming.

Both Voldemort and Dumbledore were going to pay for what they've done or more precisely for what they were going to do. And he was going to confirm every single one of his doubts he has/had about the future and that he will not be idle like he was last time. He was going to make use of every opportunity he has unlike last time, where he idly waited for something that never came and lost most of the things he considered important, all because of his inaction. It was his time to go on an _offensive_ and he will.

* * *

 ** _Sorry for the long wait, I kind of lost my interest in this story for a while and I tried to focus on my new story with some underdeveloped ideas that I had at the top of my head. It didn't work out as I was stuck in the middle. But it kind of gave me a new perspective, in this story I had lost the element of surprise that I had at the beginning, of course I had the curiosity but not the suspense or surprise. Hence the reason for the sudden six months back in time situation. And since you guys didn't have any interest in recurring events or chapters, so I decided to skip with the whole going to the third task and coming back in time scenario. Hope you liked the multiple souls in Harry and Hermione; actually I wanted it to be something Lily would explain to Harry in the Limbo, but eventually I chose to change it and kind of broke the surprise._**

 ** _If you like this or hate this then please tell me, then so I can correct it or improve it. As usual Reviews and Critics are welcomed. And the upcoming updates will be slow, too much work at hand, working eighteen hours a day, barely getting any sleep (and two more stories to concentrate on)._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Thank You…_**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does…**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters to review or point out my mistakes. You people really know how to make a new writer to feel appreciated for their work.**

* * *

 _ **February 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **-**_

The last two months were a little quainter yet more exciting than usual. It was pleasant albeit a little less turbulent, because for the first time in years they had clarity in their minds and they were making progress with their plans for the future. But like all calmness, he knew that this one too won't last for long, because by the end of the year everything will turn out to be a mess again. The last two months were warm and fruitful for them, but that was only because they compared it to the progress of the events from the second timeline.

It took him quite a bit of time to explain and find a way to help Hermione to unite the multiple _minds_ of her souls together for her to acquire the complete cognizance. Like him, Hermione too had more than one soul inside of her, three souls to be exact. A soul she acquired while she was still in the future, when she tested the time-warp charm as a test-run in the first timeline, before they officially _used the charm_ to come to this _time-period_. She had two souls inside of her before they both even attempted using the 'time-warp charm'. That was one of the reasons for why she came back nearly two years apart from his arrival.

The reason for their separate and incoherent arrival in time was indeed just as they had suspected, it was because of the magical projection signals that they sent in through the higher dimension being unbalanced. But the initial reason for their unbalanced projection load was because unlike him, Hermione was projecting two souls into the higher dimension instead of one, (without the knowledge of what she was actually doing).

Initially he doubted if Hermione's souls even managed to arrive into this timeline. However once he did a few tests and as the results came back positive, he proceeded with explaining everything to her and began with helping her unite her minds like he did with his. After quite a few efforts she succeeded and united her minds into one. When she managed to complete it, one thing became clear, even before she came into this timeline, she wasn't her one hundred per cent, for the reasons that just like him; most of her cognitive capabilities too were hampered to levels beyond their expectations.

Once their mind-melding was complete, it changed them both in every way. All of Hermione's teenage behaviour vanished completely, when she got complete access to every single corner of her memory cortex, both brightest and the darkest of memories. Since then he has witnessed the effectiveness of her eidetic memory on a various number of occasions, nowadays they rarely ever went to the library, because Hermione having read most of the books in it at some point of time, she was for all intents and purposes a walking information bank. Fortunately for them, they were able to effectively _act_ like teenagers around others without much trouble, because of the teenage counterparts' minds they absorbed.

Even before his 'second arrival', they both always had that distinctive feeling of as if their psychological powers were being hindered. However, they didn't know for sure and they weren't able to pin it down either, but they definitely _felt_ like it. They felt like it, because of the effects it had on their minds. At times, they could easily be distracted; they had spontaneous albeit unusual changes in opinions, feelings and thoughts. Sometimes they would worry about something for no reason at all and mere moments later they would consider their earlier stream of thoughts to be completely pointless. In short, they both had problems with stable retentions of their own thoughts.

As they both faced these problems, they continuously kept worrying over their minds. This consistent worrying over the integrity of their minds led them to check and recheck their Occulumency barriers again and again, but unfortunately it did nothing to help them mend the hole in their subconscious minds. ' _Were their minds really being hindered, if so, then to what extent and why'_ , these were the questions that really bothered them and these were what they really needed answered.

Considering from a psychological point of view, he had many impeccably precise cognitive capabilities due to the years' worth of very effective conditioning of his own 'memory palace' and needless to say Hermione's eidetic memory was top-notch and this was before the time-travel. The reason for why their powers were being hindered _was_ a mystery to them and frankly they didn't know that they were being hindered for sure. In actuality, it was because of the immense stress that was thrust upon their brains due to their separately functioning minds; it increased their brain functions but reduced the full extent of their respective brains' potential functionalities. And when their respective minds were united, their brains' functions achieved maximum utility and hence the reason for their much more improved cognizance.

At first they had difficulty adapting to it, but in due course of time it became easier for them to exhibit their thoughts and feelings; they literally relearned how to freely express what they felt, however it happened naturally, as they kept spending more and more time with eachother. The process itself kept them on an edge, for a free and relaxed state of mind frightened them for a time. It was difficult for them to adapt back after being in a constantly tensed state of mind for a considerably long time, which was caused due to their separate minds that constantly battled eachother for dominance over control of their physical bodies.

 _Now_ , he is just like the impulsive brute that he was in the future he first came from, a very different person in a particularly disturbed period of time. A time, during which he had that tendency to punish or kill anything or anyone if it/they were even remotely corrupt or dangerous that affected any innocent person's life. He didn't care if a hundred corrupt men escaped justice, but even if one innocent man suffered then he considered himself to have failed and _he didn't like to fail_. He was cruel and ruthless to anyone who didn't deserve his mercy, where he himself personally judged the person or a group of people if they have earned his mercy or not. But his ruthlessness wasn't the only thing he inherited; he also received some _enhanced traits_ like his infinite patience and devious meticulousness. Now, he is more different than how all of his equivalent counterparts separately were, but he himself considered that his change as a good thing, as that was the only thing he could hope.

For a brief a time, he was worried if Hermione would stop loving him if she realised how ruthless a man he is, but once when he voiced his thoughts to her, she assured him that she would love him no matter what, and that they would be together both in life and in death. Hermione was almost completely different when compared to him, because she completed him and annulled all of his faults, she was the necessary yet absent part of his mind, something he needed to function but it was the one thing that he didn't have. She was a soft, clever, mature, straightforward and compassionate woman, compassionate to everyone; she was someone he didn't deserve but definitely needed more than anything. She faced and overcame her personal demons and made progress on her recovery and she finally recovered completely. He needed her beside him in order to do what he does best without collapsing; she was his other part of life, someone who is powerful, wise and just.

But at the same time in the last couple of months getting used to the psychological changes wasn't the only thing he did. Over the months, he prepared for an offensive action and therefore he led a few investigative assignments, mostly centred on stealth and infiltration. He indulged himself in regular nightly out-of-school scouting excursions, while Hermione mostly stayed at school as a lookout for Moody's impersonator and Snape's nosy big nose. He used the few hours he got as sparingly as he can, he used it by carefully making use of his girlfriend's time-turner. With the window of only a few hours, he couldn't do anything daring or bold, but he was making immense progress. He made use of his time wisely to financially and politically attack every criminal organization that he had prior dealings with, in the future. At the beginning he was unable to do much, but he did slow them down by a bit.

For this he made use of Rita Skeeter's knowledge about the corrupt Ministry officials and how to handle them effectively. He also used the information he acquired last year, from Draco Malfoy's mind about the elder Malfoy's confederates in business and he acquired incriminating information from the other pureblood children of various families and from the memories of Voldemort. He used the information to collect enough evidence to convict various powerful and politically well-placed individuals for his own agendas.

Meanwhile with his help, Amelia re-solved over one hundred 'cold cases' that he himself solved during his entire career as an investigative auror and she did it all in a span of two months, whereas it took him more than a decade of hunting to solve them all and in return she helped him identify the loopholes in the pureblood laws'. Using the incriminating evidence he collected, they imprisoned many corrupt bureaucrats, all of whom he knew who wouldn't have cooperated to his demands and instead would have fought back to his blackmail and by doing so created a mess. Also, he with the help of Hermione, Sirius and Remus exposed a criminal organization which had ties to various pureblood magical families. One night they infiltrated that organisation's archives by impersonating its own members to collect incriminating evidence. There they collected enough evidence in order to tie the location of their base to illegal activities and on the very next morning Amelia conducted an official raid and she arrested many important associates of the said organization.

However with their success, there came a problem, he knew better than to simply let all the arrested convicts/cronies be imprisoned in Azkaban. Azkaban is the most logical location to recruit bloodthirsty criminals as followers and for a wizard of Voldemort's calibre it isn't impossible. And knowing that Voldemort did attack the prison in the first timeline, he knew for a fact that Voldemort would undoubtedly attack the prison in the near future to gather more followers and amass his forces. If it were to happen, then he would have directly facilitated Voldemort's mission to assemble an even stronger army.

Voldemort himself was another issue that needed his undivided attention, so it was only logical that they take care of the lesser threats first and deal with the megalomaniac later. They did this, so that they wouldn't end up giving the despotic fool a chance to _force_ the lesser threats into doing his bidding for his own blood-purist cause.

Voldemort himself was already resurrected during the recently passed November, which was an unfortunate event that happened due to his _meddling_ with time. It was an event that he really wanted to interfere in, when he did decide to come back the second time, but he couldn't do it, as he himself came back a month after the 'resurrection event'. Even if he wanted to delay the resurrection, he can't, because then he would have to go back to his first year and then undo his mistake of killing Quirrell like that. Not only that, he would have to find a way to give the material of his blood protection to Voldemort and by doing so he must live through the last three years yet again, which was something he didn't want to do either. And even if he decided to go back in time again, he can't, because he just used the _time-warp charm_ a couple of months 'ago or ahead', so he would need to wait at least another two and a half years or so for the time stream to stabilize.

The only reason for why Voldemort was being reticent and sated at the moment was because the Dark Lord was physically impaired due to the side-effects of the alternate 'revival ritual'. If his calculations are correct, then Voldemort will be fully restored and completely active by the last week of April. Voldemort wanted to kill him and have his dead-body preserved, so in the future it could be signified as the symbol of his victory over the prophesied saviour, so to convey that even god's plans can't stop the Dark Lord. And that was why the man was hell bent on kidnapping him, to kill him and prove that there truly is no hope for the world anymore.

Therefore he and Hermione used their acquired information to silently pull some strings inside the ministry via various threatening letters and evidently immoral photographs of many powerful bureaucrats. The Wizengamot was as usual _ineffective_ , as they even failed to get the names of the main confederates of the organisation by their so called interrogation. Amelia only had the authority to make a case and arrest the accused by providing strong enough evidence to acquire a warrant for the arrest. And ultimately it was the Investigation Department's job to investigate and by doing so untie all the knots of the huge network of webs and normally Amelia could oversee this being the head of the entire law enforcement department, but this time she was overridden by the Minister's orders to not to interfere with the investigation. Since many pureblood families were involved with the criminal organisation on many levels they paid the right people in the ministry to alter the evidence and cover up their involvement and they were again stuck in a tight spot.

So Hermione came up with a plan to use what they wanted against them, he took the basis of the idea and altered the strategy a little, so by manipulating the few bureaucrats they had in their control, he made them call up on a vote to have most of the arrested convicts executed. And since most of the arrestees had implicating knowledge about various corrupt pureblood families, of which most of them were involved in illegal undertakings, hence his silent planning had complete support from _many_ of the pureblood families' representatives in the Wizengamot. As a matter of self-preservation, all the criminally connected pureblood members of the Wizengamot, agreed with his proxy planning without even wondering of why anyone would call on a bloody vote to have arrested convicts executed. They all thought of it as the perfect opportunity for tying up all the loose ends in one shot as it were, but by doing so they all indirectly revealed to him that they were all involved with the organisation. He used the opportunity to find the confederates who all managed to keep their existence hidden from even their own partners in crime.

Hermione, Remus and Amelia were against his decision to have all the arrested convicts executed and Sirius himself was uncomfortable and unsurprisingly neutral, but ultimately they succumbed to his reasoning and saw the logic and necessity of it. Besides, eventually they all had to face the obvious question, if they were going to silently manipulate entire departments of the ministry into imprisoning all the convicts in Azkaban, then they must have the resolve to do the necessary. If not, then within a month's time every single one of the imprisoned prisoners would go insane due to the Dementors' dispiriting effect and when Voldemort does attack the prison, the megalomaniac will have even more followers who will all be very willing to do evil things. And by then, they will be the last set of people any law enforcing organisation would ever want loose in their own alley.

Apart from all this he has some completely secret side projects at work; he had them tucked away even from Hermione's knowledge. He had a distinct feeling that Hermione wouldn't approve of his extreme methods and brutally cruel decisions, but it was an absolute necessity. He had no choice but to hide it from her, because if his girlfriend lacked anything, it was the will to do the necessary evil, as her consideration over others always prevented her from making such cruel decisions. She would never be able to do the unpleasant things that he himself would easily be able to do, especially since she had a hard time coping with the things they were forced to do in the war, last time around. Her thoughts and actions showed him the purity and compassion she possessed and he didn't want her to lose hers like he lost his, especially because of having no other choice but to do it, like with him in the past. Her purity is what showed the difference between one another, one with a pure heart and the other with an unending darkness, together they were one, and in a strange manner it did make some sense.

His research itself was going well thanks to the knowledge acquired from Voldemort's memories, but the progress wasn't upto his expectations, however he was working on many ideas that he was doing when in the future. He really wanted to include Hermione into the research assignments, but he was positive that certain parts of his projects would only alarm her 'at this point', but once he progresses it to a certain extent he was fairly certain that she would be fine with the _intended path_ of his research.

After their mind-melding event, which was what they decided to term the event as, they were enhanced in ways that most people could only dream of. Physically there was a slight increase in their muscle efficiency and in the rate of their overall healing, making them a bit stronger and faster. Magically, they now had the potential reach to be the true forces of nature in a few short years, for example if his calculations are correct then by the end of the next year he could achieve a level of control over his own magic, which is something he would have considered unattainable a while ago. Even now, his control over magic was in every way amplified, but not just the general control over it, he could literally shape his magic into any form that he want it to.

Such manipulation over his magic was an aspect of his training that he had previously kept reserved for a later time, as it still had some taxing physical requirements that his underdeveloped body didn't previously have _yet_. The magical requirements needed some physical growth too, physically he needed to achieve magical maturity for his core to develop at a much faster rate, previously the size and strength of his magical core wasn't upto notch and so he had to wait until he met the requirements. And now with the mind-melding event the requirements were met, the size of his magical core grew over half of its previous size (which was a lot), while the strength of his core increased to maybe over two times of his previous core's strength. The effects of their extrasensory perception, telekinesis and hypnosis boosted their Occulumency and Legilimency abilities to levels that even Dumbledore with his infinite conditioning could never reach.

At first these changes overwhelmed them, but eventually within a few weeks' time they both learned how to activate it and how to deactivate it to their own wills. Compared to him, Hermione's physical, magical and psychic powers were gentle and stable; hence she was the first one to get a decent grasp over her powers. His powers on the other hand were both volatile and temperamental, which was something that worried him; hence it took him some time to develop a satisfying control over it.

The downside of these abilities was that they would deteriorate rapidly if not given enough care both mentally and physically. And technically they have only scratched the surface of these abilities and it would still take a subsequently long time for them to get a good hold over it in order to improve it further.

If practiced regularly and used extensively then they could achieve the power his mother promised him when she convinced him to meld his mind with his counterpart in the second timeline. Just like how he ' _lied_ ' and convinced his counterparts into making them meld their minds with him in this one. He didn't _lie_ to them per se, he might have just conveniently failed to mention the fact that these abilities they acquired weren't an instant fix and that it required a considerable amount of time and lot of effort to unlock and use them effectively. He wasn't particularly thrilled about it either, but the initial boost that it gave them was still a huge improvement compared to the size and strength of his previous magical core. Hence it was definitely an advantage for him against his battle with Voldemort, so his disappointed part of mind was easily overlooked.

He slowly opened his eyes, as they reached the destination of the day and he immediately stopped reliving his thoughts. He let out a little frosty breath and stepped off of the boat to the metal platform and looked around in boredom and sighed tediously, _"Here we are, again."_

* * *

 _ **Black Lake-**_

The day was a bit dull as it was cloudy. Cold wind descending from the hills cooled the stand and the stadium located on top of the lake, it was late afternoon and the half-darkened clouds which occupied the sky blocked the bright sunrays from above, while successfully failing to bring levity to the oppressive atmosphere. He hated days like these, as it reminded him of the period of war. The second task of the Triwizard Tournament will be underway within the hour and he will have to go into the water _again_.

He was standing on the champions' platform among his fellow champions and a few friends, but he was watching towards the stadium, he was looking for Sirius, Remus, Rosalie and Amelia, unfortunately the stadium was tightly packed and he couldn't locate them among the crowd. Both the structures were built on top of the water; the stadium itself was located at the back of the champions' platform, very conveniently located for the audience to watch the champions. The stadium itself was built in the shape of the crescent moon with various projectors and screens placed for the audience to view the whole event comfortably. The projector covered all four champions from different viewpoints, to give a comprehensive display of their progress during the task. Guests and dignitaries were already there on the stadium; they all arrived that morning just after breakfast and they reached the stadium using either boats or brooms. The judges' platform was on the level above the champions' platform, which is where all the judges would be scoring the champions individually after assessing them by their respective performance.

He looked around towards his fellow champions; Fleur and Cedric were nervously talking with each other and Krum was firmly looking at the glassy surface of the water in front of them. He could sense that Fleur, Cedric and Krum were all worried about the task ahead of them and in his opinion they should indeed be worried. Last time when he found Hermione's still form underwater his blood literally boiled and he almost lost control of himself for a second, he was furious enough to go on a killing spree. Fleur's sister Gabrielle, Cedric's best mate Philip and Krum's best mate Ivanov won't be any more different than they were last time around. Although he briefly wondered what Ivanov was doing standing there beside Krum among his other friends, instead of being held hostage inside the water, but frankly it _bored_ him to even muse about it, so he ignored it altogether.

Last time, during the Yule ball, he had a fist fight with Krum. This time during the ball, after their second dance he felt that uncomfortable feeling of unsettledness, because by then the images, memories and information from the future had already started to seep into his mind. But last time, having experienced no such feelings, he danced with Hermione a third and a fourth time and kissed her more than once in the great hall and just as they were about to go to the garden something unexpected happened.

Their public display of affection apparently disturbed Krum to the point of leading the Bulgarian to drink a load of liquor and the man clearly lost his composure and raged upon them both throwing insults. And in his drunken state Krum crossed a line; Krum pulled Hermione who was standing beside him into the dance floor without either her consent or his permission. What happened next changed many things, he absolutely wouldn't have assaulted Krum if the idiot hadn't _touched_ Hermione and that's where the Bulgarian had made his mistake. Obviously, he reacted by punching Krum in the face for three consecutive times, Krum clumsily swung back but being already dazed by his punches and the liquor, the tall Bulgarian ended up falling on the ground and was out cold for the rest of the night.

As a result of his actions, he got punched in the face by Krum's best friend, and following that Fred, Cedric and Cedric's friends briefly held off the Bulgarian students as George retaliated by punching Krum's best friend Ivanov. The resulting brawl between the Hogwarts and Durmstrang boys officially ended the Ball ahead of schedule. This event attracted loads of attention from the press and ICW used the inane event's result as an opportunity to compel the need to improve International relations in order to further reinforce the idea of holding such tournaments in the future. The media however used the incident to draw Hermione out into public's eye and turned her into an idol for gossip and then portrayed a hostile rivalry between him and Krum to make the competition more dramatic, entertaining and appealing to the general audience around the world.

Having experienced such meaningless drama before in their first timeline, he and Hermione weren't exactly thrilled to be in a negative spotlight. And later to his detesting surprise, he learned of the fact that this was what led the death-eaters to target Hermione and her family during the vacation, because from the newspaper articles that followed after the ball they precisely assumed that she meant a great deal to him.

However, in retaliation for his stunt during the ball, Krum hexed him on the back during the second task and all he did to provoke the Bulgarian was that he simply swam past him without bothering to pay any attention. The Bulgarian hexed him just to ensure that he got Hermione's attention, as she previously ignored the idiot for his insensitive behaviour during the ball, which vaguely resembled Ron's behaviour, which was something she hated so much.

Needless to say, it was Krum's way of expressing his superiority complex over him. And Krum paid for it by getting caught in a trap and wounding himself later during the task. Then the idiot ended up losing points for not completing the task, his lack of moral fibre and breaking one of the rules and yet _again_ Krum ended up being the last in the competition. The only thing that stopped Harry from being disqualified or drowned was that he woke up soon enough after being hexed and he was able undo the hex and cast the 'bubble-head charm' over his head again. It was sheer luck that none of the creatures in the lake found him when he was unconsciously floating down to the bottom of the abyss. And also thanks to his prognostic thinking, he was glad that he had previously thought of attaching an elastic rope when he crafted his wand-holster out of the basilisk's skin. The elastic rope did exactly what its intended purpose was, it held the wand from being lost when he dropped it after he was hexed or else he would have definitely drowned before the rescue arrived.

And for this too Krum endured many criticising articles from various newspapers and magazines of both domestic and various foreign outlets after the task, but personally he didn't think it was enough punishment. Krum in this general time period wasn't the same Viktor Krum that he had gotten to know in the future, this Krum was immature, selfish and self-centred with some pretty wicked ideals, this Krum hasn't grown out of his teenage mentality yet and he didn't like this Krum very much.

However in this present timeline, Krum was still a little more sated and hence they didn't fight like immature children. The concept of Hermione being unavailable only appealed to the Bulgarian Quidditch player, the fact that she was someone he cannot have only seemed to entice him more, at the same time it made Hermione look even more desirable. Meanwhile he didn't fancy the idea of someone else being interested in his girlfriend; he didn't fancy it one bit. Hence this time he didn't want to take any chances with Hermione's or her family's safety by publicising their relationship any more than necessary after the ball, but he made sure to romanticise their relationship while in private.

And as an extra precaution he used his hypnosis and Legilimency abilities to manipulate Krum's mind, to keep Krum afraid of him, and also to frighten the Bulgarian of the very idea of approaching Hermione to make it seem impossible, he did it so to make the Bulgarian to give up his interest on his girlfriend. He easily played with the Bulgarian's mind and used the idiot's insecurities against him just like he did with Skeeter and his method was successful and by now the only thing the Bulgarian cared about was winning the tournament, leading Viktor's infatuation for his girlfriend to diminish greatly. He only chose to play it like that, because Hermione wasn't exactly thrilled by his decision to physically assault someone in her name. And also due to the fact that if he had fought the idiot this time around, then he would have definitely snapped Krum's neck for even thinking of touching Hermione, he wouldn't have even had a second thought about it.

The butterfly effect caused many problems for them, one of which was that he couldn't use Gillyweed for the second task. As per the rules designed by the Ministry and refined by the ICW, 'a wand is the only tool that was allowed for the champions' use' and it must only be used for the completion of the tasks. Hence summoning a Firebolt was permissible as the broom is a non-living thing where flying was well within its uses, while the summoning itself is a spell which is done by a wand. But at the same time, the Gillyweed is an herb and obviously it shouldn't be summoned unless it is harvested from the wild, _during the task_. So he was forced to find other ways to finish the task.

But these all weren't what worried him, no, the traps in the water was what worried him. The ICW stooges were complete idiots; they inserted very dangerous creatures into the lake making it completely unfriendly for humans and also compromising the integrity of underwater biotic ecosystem. And most importantly they did all of this just for making the task more entertaining for the _bigwigs_. They may have been successful at placing the creatures' habitats exactly where they wanted it to, but in doing so they also threatened the stability of the biotic ecosystem of the lake by threatening the merpeople community's safety. Who were all more so hostile with him and his fellow champions, last time around?

Though the ICW members were indeed idiots, a considerable amount of blame laid on him too. Last year, when he made his friends sell the items from the chamber of secrets, he didn't anticipate the level of impact it would create. The dragon eggs, Griffin eggs and Blue Flame Phoenix's eggs eventually made its way into the hands of various Dragonologists and Magizoologists all around the world, as according to his measure to successfully keep the items away from the black market. Hence within a month's time most of the Dragons, Griffins and Phoenixes were hatched and put into various habitats for them to be grown just like it does in the wild. A habitat usually consisted of various animals coexisting in one terrain, where a natural food chain manifests itself under the right conditions, for the sustainability of the said animals within the habitat, and with enough time the habitat attains stability.

As such many dragon species were put under breeding programs to increase the number of dragons for a long term venture. That was one of the reasons for why no female dragons were brought for the first task. Most female dragons which were held in camps were half way through the breeding stage by now, so bringing them for the task was impossible.

And therein laid the problem, the dragon handlers, the dragonologists and the magizoologists had almost no precise idea of how to recreate such habitats for extinct species of magical creatures. As such various magical animals which were all considered to be the prey for the Dragons, Griffins and the Phoenixes were shipped across the globe in large numbers. The tremendous overall boost in sales of magical creatures around the world led to a problem of unavailability causing a boost in the prices of the magical creatures. This led businessmen to promote the process of trapping and capturing various magical creatures leading to the capture of many dangerous creatures.

The magical governments being what they are, they created a new unified trade alliance among most of the magical communities across the world linked through the ICW in order to regulate the flow of trades into the Black-market all over the world. This new trade alliance gave the ICW enough access to many different species of magical creatures. And they used this alliance to acquire such creatures and to integrate those dangerous magical creatures into the black lake in the name of the Triwizard tournament. And Dumbledore being the bloody idiot he was obviously gave the ICW permission for such a dangerous integration. Most important of all, the newly integrated animals haven't had enough time to get settled in and to find a stable environment for them to sustain themselves and animals that live in such unstable environments are known to be one of the most aggressive stages of them all.

He looked through his memories, to find anything useful for the upcoming task. He was roughly broken out his thoughts by Bagman who checked with him, Fleur, Cedric and Krum about carrying only a wand and the golden egg. He took the golden egg from his magically enlarged pocket of his shorts and Bagman checked inside his pocket making sure that he wasn't carrying anything else. And once Bagman was done, he walked to face the stadium and began.

He tuned into Bagman's commentary, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today to witness the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Let us welcome our champions with a huge round of applause." And there was a huge applause from the crowd.

"Our champions are ready for the second task, which will start when the red flare touches the water. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. They will have to use the item they acquired from the previous task to retrieve what they will miss the most." There were cheers from the stadium who were awaiting the task.

"Champions…! I guess you all have figured out what you miss the most? Your objective is to find the outer marker and use the item that you previously won. The marker will lead you to the thing that you miss the most. Good Luck."

"Let the task begin…" Bagman yelled and the applause loudly began again and when the applause reduced Mister Baker sent a red flare into the sky from the platform above them. He, Cedric, Fleur and Krum all waited for the flare to touch the surface of the water and just as it made contact, they all dived into the water simultaneously.

* * *

 _ **In the Lake-**_

Just as he dived in, he flexed his right wrist and drew his wand from the holster. He immediately non-verbally cast a 'Bubble-Head charm' over himself creating a protective bubble covering his upper nose, entire jaw and a part of his neck. He conjured a pair of transparent goggles and charmed it to be waterproof and then he wore it over his eyes to view clearly through the water. He then waved his wand over his feet and transfigured his feet into longs fins and then he partially transformed his palms to make it webbed. Then he used a combination of 'Hot-Air charm' and 'Bubble-Head charm' underneath his shirt just over his heart and over his head to keep his blood circulation up in those parts, to withstand the artificially stimulated cold temperature of the water. And then he did the same with all over his body, but made it like a very thin cloak over his entire skin in order to function adequately, he did it so to prevent his legs and hands from going numb due to the cold.

Once his initial preparations were finished, he started swimming to his right, into the deep of the lake. After travelling over five hundred yards he reached a long strip of underwater grassy coral, which he knew to be filled with grindylows, so he manoeuvred to his right, away from the long grassy coral and he headed straight into the valley between the two underwater cliffs. He kept swimming forward, but keeping himself closer to the edge of the cliffs and away from the coral grass.

He knew the route to the location of the outer markers; hence he followed his mind map to the location of the closest marker. The one hour time limit of this task was to earn a perfect score; it is not the time required to finish the task, they could very well take more than one hour and earn fine points. The judges conveniently failed to mention it to them, he assumed it as to make them push themselves to the limit and present an entertaining spectacle for the audience. To be perfectly honest, they will have to push themselves to their very extreme to finish the task within the one hour limit, because the task is almost three times difficult compared to the one he faced in the first timeline. But having faced this twice before and equipped with the intimate knowledge of these tasks, he was positive that he can make it back within the hour.

Fifteen minutes of swimming between the cliffs, he reached a huge strip of land with minimal coral. From a distance he could see something white faintly glinting in the dim light of the sun that penetrated the water. He swam towards it and when he was just a few yards away, he cautiously approached it. The outer marker was a white concave basin in which the base of the golden egg would fit in perfectly.

He reached into his magically enchanted pocket and pulled out the golden egg, and then he placed the base of the egg on the centre of the basin. Then he slowly twisted open the latch on the top edge of the egg and he unhinged the hinges and opened the three golden petal-like outer covering. As he finished opening it, the petals started spinning around the inside of the egg and a humming music of the mermaids started playing as the flesh of the egg began glowing.

Just as soon as the music started, the temperature of the water decreased even further to a freezing cold. And he heard a faint hissing noise, as if something large was wading through the water and he knew what was coming. He turned around towards the other side of the land strip and he saw a large figure moving through the water, closing in on him. The creature that was approaching onto him became clear when it was around a hundred yards from him. It was a Selma, a ferocious twenty feet long water serpent that craved for human flesh.

It was approaching him fast; he pointed his wand towards the approaching serpent and murmured, "Expulso..." A bluish white ball of light was projected into the water from the tip of his wand heading towards the head of the approaching serpent. The ball of light exploded when it was just a feet away from the serpent, he used that spilt second of the Selma's distraction to conjure a thin but strong 'charmed' metal wire and sent it towards the explosion.

The serpent penetrated through the muddy remains of the explosion and moved towards him. Just then his wire spun around the midsection of the serpent and he murmured, "Incendio Tria…" His Fire spell used the wire as a conducting pathway and rocketed towards the serpent in the form of boiling water and by doing so it also superheated the wire at the same time. While his 'Fire spell' enhanced hot water was assaulting the serpent, he covered the wire with a magical insulation around its entire length to conserve and amplify the heat on the wire.

In a slashing motion, he whipped his wand in a downwards pull and used his body weight to enhance the pull. The wire that was connected to the tip of his wand was whipped along with his downwards slash. The red superheated wire cleaved the midsection of the Selma clean off, separating the serpent into two halves that were thrashing around in the water separately. Nearly five minutes of thrashing later the Selma's form went still, meaning that it was dead and his job was done.

The music stopped and the hinges of the egg snapped shut, the stone slab on the base of the concave basin started moving and a key's handle protruded out of the stone. He pulled the key from the stone and it looked like a regular metal key, he placed it inside his pocket. As soon as he pulled the key out of the stone slab, there was a small golden wisp that moved past him into the deep until it vanished from his sight. And he remembered what Bagman said at the beginning of the task, _"The marker will lead you to the thing that you miss the most…",_ so he assumed that it showed him the direction of the hostages and he immediately swam away towards that direction.

* * *

 _ **Centre of the Lake (Ruins of a Citadel)-**_

As Harry pulled out the metal key from the stone slab, somewhere else in the lake something else happened.

At the same time, something else was happening at the centre of the lake, across various traps and trials there was a ruin of a submerged citadel. At the centre of the ruins there was a platform, and on the platform there were four metal boxes, each metal box with a dimension of six feet to one and half feet. The last box on the right of the four metal boxes slowly detached itself from the pure white platform and it floated away to a height of twelve feet. The metal box stopped at that height as it was firmly held by a metal chain to the bottom of the box, a chain that extended out of a hole in the platform, while the remaining three boxes still remained attached to the smooth white platform.

* * *

 _ **Twenty minutes later-**_

For the next twenty minutes, he travelled west towards the series of eddies. During his brief travel, he avoided a school of 'Shrake' that was specially bred for the black lake's habitat and climatic conditions, the school of fish was attacking Fleur and Cedric. He was fairly certain that both of his fellow champions would have no trouble getting out of it, since the two lovers were helping eachother through the task. He reached the series of eddies and from inside the water, the view of an eddy looked like an underwater tornado, where water is spiralling inwards and downwards to the depth of the loch.

He knew that there were twelve eddies placed adjacent to eachother forming a circle around the underwater ruins of the land of merpeople, which is where the hostages are held. The twelve eddies sized from the surface of the water to the surface of the land at the depth of the lake. The series of artificially induced eddies act as a barrier for the ruins, an impenetrable barrier to divert them towards the underwater caverns on the sides. The caverns are like a maze which leads into the underwater ruins, towards the hostages, the game-makers' intent is for them to navigate in through the caves and then rescue the hostage. However he knew how difficult it is to navigate through the caves having gone through it once before and he particularly wasn't looking forward for it, especially because he knew that the caves inhabited several Kelpies.

He didn't want to face the Kelpies, but he also need to get past the series of eddies into the ruins to retrieve the love of his life. And since his performance in this event also depended on his public image, he needed to make this spectacular as well as make the cleverest decision to bypass the whirlpools. As such he raised his wand and nonverbally cast a 'shield-penetration' spell; his spell hurled a beam of blue light at the eddy.

The beam of light never reached the spinning vortex of water; the beam was diverted and washed away into the centre of the whirlpool, by the whirling water around the vortex. He immediately swam upwards to the surface while keeping his distance away from the whirlpool's range as in not to get pulled into the vortex.

And just when he was a few feet from the surface of the water, he pointed his wand upwards and murmured, "Ascendio…" He also made sure to use a huge scale of his own magic to literally force him higher upwards in the air using raw magic.

His spell successfully propelled him flying out of the water into the air, over a hundred yards in height. He immediately undid his protective enchantments and then he stretched both his hands and legs during free-fall to decelerate his descend. From the air, he analysed by sight that he had no clear landing spot over the whirlpool's range, since the series of eddies where situated too close to eachother for comfort. Hence he promptly pointed his wand at the whirlpool beneath him and he aimed for the dark centre of the vortex.

"AHHHHHHHH…" With a thunderously loud yell he hurled another beam of blue light that was several times bigger and stronger than the last one.

This time his 'shield-penetration' spell connected to the dark centre of the whirlpool and the water at the point of impact imploded onto itself and then there was a blast so strong that it collapsed the whirlpool's spiralling inflow, while at the same time the whiplash of the resultant blast sent him off course. He fell headfirst into the collapsing whirlpool, having no choice but to crash into it.

His spell collapsed the whirlpool and the resultant whiplash caused a chain reaction that destabilised all the other whirlpools adjacent to the first one and the imbalance in the system caused the entire series of eddies to dissipate into nothingness. He was able to hold his breath long enough for the randomly heaving water to settle down just a little for him to recreate the same set of protective enchantments that he had placed around himself at the beginning of the task.

He recovered from the heavily heaving water's movement caused due to the collapse of the whirlpools and then he caught back to his pace and made it to the ruins. As he reached the remains of what looked like an underwater castle, he noticed that the merpeople were cautiously moving with their spears, they were guarding the hostages.

At the centre, there was a smooth white platform which was surrounded by several lone pillars that were standing upright. There were three holes which were equally spaced on the platform, out of those holes came three metal chains that held all the black metal boxes at twelve feet height, to keep the boxes from floating away to the surface. And there was a fourth box that remained attached to the platform beside the floating boxes.

He immediately swam towards the floating boxes and started with the leftmost one, he stuck the key in the keyhole and twisted it, but when it didn't open, he moved on to next one. The second one too didn't open, so he tried with the third box and this time the metal door swung open. As he opened the door the air was forced out of the box, Hermione who was inside it remained unconscious, even as the water filled the box.

He tenderly moved the strands of her hair out of her face and with that he reached in around her hips and pulled her out of the box and he swam away to the same direction that he came from, but was blocked by the merpeople.

"Please let me pass…" He requested to the merpeople and since he was using the 'bubblehead charm' he was still able to speak to them clearly. And in return to his request the Merchieftainess Murcus who understood his request simply moved forward from the other merpeople and she simply pointed her spear to another path that was separated by tall coral reef on both the sides.

He nodded to the Merchieftainess in agreement and held Hermione tightly to her hips and he swam upwards a little and moved towards the other path. As he started swimming, he heard a clinking noise as if a metal chain is being drawn through a stony path; he turned towards the platform and observed the fourth box that was previously still attached to the platform was now floating upwards until the chain finally stopped it from moving any higher. He briefly wondered about the notion of all his fellow champions having the own keys to their respective boxes and all of them approaching towards the other hostages.

With that he put a stop to the train of thoughts and he swam forward following the new path, but he kept a fair distance from the surface of the mud beneath, because he knew what kind of dangers that lurked underneath that sand.

* * *

 _ **In the Champions' Stand-**_

It was eighteen minutes past the one hour deadline and there was a spark of anticipation electrifying the air. The crowd on the Champions' stand and in the stadium behind were all eagerly watching the surface of the water from different sources. Within the minute, someone emerged out of the water in a jumping motion and this person landed back into the water. It was Harry Potter and his hostage Hermione Granger; he slowly pushed Hermione in the back onto the platform and out of the water. He then pushed himself out a little and placed both of his folded hands on the platform and touched his chin on the metal platform of the Champions' stands and breathed out through his mouth, his body below his chest was still submerged in the water.

The crowd was cheering so loud that the only thing she could hear was Neville's and Luna's faint voices and Bagman's loud announcement. Luna wrapped a thick black blanket around her to warm her and Neville who was trying to pull her boyfriend from the water stopped at Harry's request. She was shivering, the water was cold and the breeze blowing on the stands wasn't helping her mood. The last thing she could remember was being called to McGonagall's office last night and the next thing she felt was being cold and drenched beside Harry half submerged in the water.

She saw her boyfriend smiling at her thinly through his shivering and uneven breathing and then her raven haired boyfriend slowly twisted his head and laid it on the metal platform and kept breathing heavily. She smiled back at him and was about to move, but Luna held her still and kept rubbing both of her palms to warm her. Fred and George moved past Neville towards Harry and said, "You gave them all one entertaining show, mate."

"Well…it did…feel exciting…for a moment!" Harry exclaimed back at the twins between short breaths.

"Of course it did…" Fred began with a laugh and George joined in with his twin.

With that both the twins pulled the raven haired boy out of the water in one heave and Harry stumbled a bit and he stood there with both of his hands placed on his knees, being exhausted about the whole ordeal, Neville laid a thick black blanket around him to ease his shivering. His protective charms were undone when he reached the surface and now the windy breeze on the stands was freezing.

Moments later the Bulgarian champion Viktor Krum emerged out of the water with his hostage/girlfriend, the crowd started cheering again after only being subdued a moment ago. Meanwhile he used the precious few minutes of distraction he got, to remove out of the public's eye and towards Hermione. He undid his blanket and he shrouded it around her and held her close to warm her with his body heat.

"Give me the wand, honey." She asked him and he unquestioningly handed his Holly wand to her. She then gave a lazy wave and all of their clothes were dried instantly.

"Good thinking, but you just took away the only reason for us to be standing this close." He complained to her being a little annoyed.

"Who said anything about wanting a reason, honey?" She asked him back in an obvious yet 'told you so' like tone, while he just stared back at her giving a bored deadpanned look.

On the huge screen, they could see steadily continuing images of Fleur and Cedric, whereas Bagman was commentating on the progress about the remaining champions and the crowd remained energized with the show. His beautiful, intelligent and scary girlfriend gave him a peering look and asked with a sigh, "Do we have to stay here, honey?"

"It's your choice, Mione. We can stay if you want and we can leave, if it isn't the case." He replied to her steadily, as he was no longer shivering due to the cold.

Then she asked him in a commanding tone, "Shall we move?"

"Anything you say, my love." He replied compliantly. She stared at him and gave a peck to his lips and then they both disappeared into thin air from the midst of the large crowd.

* * *

 _ **Another chapter is up and I'm sorry for the huge delay, I do feel guilty about it. One of my friends introduced me to this android game called the 'Clash Royale'. I'm not usually the type to play immature games like this, but something unexpected happened. Not only did I find out that i liked it, it also had me addicted to it.**_ _ **Every night after I come home, I've been spending all my time on it, and finally a few days ago I realised that I haven't updated my 'time-warp' story's chapter or any other story for that matter for that matter and when I checked it has been more than two months and I was shocked. I've never been addicted to anything before and this turn of events has stunned me.**_

 _ **Since the moment I snapped out of my shock, I have been typing hard-core and trust me when I say this, if only my laptop had a mouth, it would be bad mouthing me using a very foul language. I honestly don't know how the chapter has turned out to be and to be perfectly frank, I couldn't just continue with my prior efficiency regarding the chapter's flow. So please bear with the raw details that I have included at the beginning of this chapter.**_ _ **So I have decided to read all my previous chapters from the beginning and get the feel of my story and the characters I have developed and then bloody well begin typing my upcoming chapters with a renewed vigour. I hope all of you can forgive me…peace…**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, a misguided author called JKR does...**

 **I sincerely thank each and every one of you, who takes the time to read these chapters to review or point out my mistakes. And I'm sorry about my crude way of writing regarding the past, the present and the future perspectives, in my defence, I try to write the chapters from how I feel and how I think of it as, so it may feel rather crude to you. Despite that, I'm working on correcting it, but it's a trial and error sort of way, it's undoubtedly working because my standard and style of writing have improved when compared to my first fanfic till now.**

* * *

 _ **With the judges-**_

All the judges were in a dilemma, how were they supposed to assess the Champions' skills and reward points if Harry Potter completely destroyed one of the obstacles while concurrently facilitating the task for his fellow champions.

They understood that the boy had some extraordinary talents, but what they couldn't accept was the boy showing off his skills while making their jobs difficult in the process.

Needless to say, Igor Karkaroff was not happy, "Potter was supposed to use the underwater tunnels to bypass the series of eddies, not destroy those eddies to get through them. Deducting points from the other champions' scores, just because of Potter's actions is not right." The Durmstrang headmaster complained to his fellow judges.

"No, the boy was supposed to think his way through the obstacles and he did just that, we have no right to judge him for _'how'_ the boy did it so. Nevertheless, Mister Karkaroff is right; deducting points from the other Champions just because of Potter's performance is wrong." Mister Baker justified Harry's actions and additionally gave reason to the Durmstrang Headmaster's implying speech.

"I too agree with, Anthony." Ludo Bagman expressed his thoughts to his fellow judges.

"I zink, ze boy's actions shouldn't stop us from our duties. We must judge zem all equally." Madam Maxime commented on the situation neutrally.

Meanwhile, Barty Crouch, Sr was unusually quiet about the whole issue; hence he didn't add his thoughts on the situation. Baker, Karkaroff, Bagman, Maxime and Crouch all looked to Dumbledore for the century-old wizard's opinions on the matter, since he was the one who usually made the final decision and also because he did it so fairly.

Dumbledore gazed at the judges with his eyes twinkling like jewels and then he spoke, "I agree with your thoughts, so here's what we do…"

* * *

 _ **May 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **(Quidditch pitch)-**_

Harry had the most points in the tournament. In the second round, the consolidated score of the judges with the exception of Mr Baker was twenty-five out of thirty. Since he directly interfered in one of the obstacles of the task, Mr Baker award all the Champions a bonus of ten points in order to make the event fair. As such, he got a solid score of thirty-five out of forty, leaving him a grand total of ninety points out of one hundred.

In the second task, Krum finished just behind him, and scored thirty-two out of forty with a grand total of eighty-two out of one-hundred, placing him as third in the scoreboard.

Finally, Cedric and Fleur arrived third and finished last, but they did it simultaneously. Fleur earned thirty out of forty and a grand total of eighty-five out of one-hundred, which placed her at the second of the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Cedric earned thirty-two points out of forty for the event.

Cedric earned extra points for showing moral fibre since he helped Fleur battle a school of Shrake when in a dire situation. Hence, the Hufflepuff Champion scored the same number of points as Krum, higher than of Fleur's even if they both arrived together. In the end, Cedric acquired the grand total of eighty-two points out of one-hundred, again tying with Krum in third place.

Today, right after dinner, he and the rest of the Champions were escorted out of the Great Hall. Then they were all led to the Quidditch pitch, where they watched 'the-soon-to-be-maze' shrubs that were growing nicely. Bagman was explaining that within a month's time, the maze will be ready for the third task.

However, he was more interested to find out why Cedric was giving him curious glances. And just as soon as Bagman finished with the explanation, he dismissed them all back to the castle. Cedric immediately approached him and asked in a whispering tone, "Harry can we talk privately for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Cedric…" He replied instantly.

"What is it?" He asked sounding interested.

Cedric led him away from the others and began sounding serious, "I'll be blunt, Harry. Yesterday I got a letter from my father."

"Okay…"

The Hufflepuff boy spoke hurriedly, "In it, he had detailed the particulars of misfortunes that have happened since before the Tournament began. Last summer, Ludo Bagman's secretary, Bertha Jorkins disappeared on her vacation to Albania, that woman is apparently known for her forgetfulness, at first they supposed that she had just forgotten the date of her return and simply lost track of time, but now the DMLE thinks that she is dead. She is one of the few who knew the specifics of the Triwizard Tournament; the DMLE believes that someone might have murdered her to get that information. A few days ago, Barty Crouch went missing too…"

He interrupted the older boy, in order to feign his shock, "Barty Crouch, as in one of our judges."

"Yes, him… Nobody knows where he is, the DMLE considers that he too may be dead, but they're being unusually optimistic that he may indeed return. In any case, my father believes that the people and the timings of these disappearances, the attack on Quidditch World Cup and your subsequent entry into the Triwizard Tournament are no accidents and that they are somehow connected. However, the Ministry is strictly denying everything to be just an uncanny coincidence." Cedric paused for a moment to view his reaction carefully.

"If the Ministry denied such a story, then this is classified information. If that's so, why tell me this…?" He asked sounding curious while feigning a dumbstruck look.

Cedric stated in an obvious tone, "I reckoned I owed you."

He nodded his head accepting the boy's reply and then he asked curiously, "If what your father mentioned was true, then I have to be extra careful in the upcoming task. And so do you, my friend."

Cedric advised him, "In the letter, he told me to learn spells that will help me in navigation and also spells to defend myself against curses and hexes. I suggest you do the same."

He replied back with a grateful nod, "Thank you…"

"It was nothing." Cedric shook it off and looked around as he spoke, "Fleur is waiting for me. I'll see you later, Harry."

"Bye Cedric…" With that, he turned around and kept walking back to the castle all the while in deep thought. The hit-wizards who were following behind him in the shadows weren't helping; they were making too much noise in a silent meadow. But since, they were protecting him and the other Champions, by the order of the DMLE, something he positively knew it to be Amelia's handiwork.

* * *

 _ **Gryffindor Common Room-**_

Hermione was sitting with Harry in front of the fire in the common room and they both were going through their notes for the end of year exams. As soon as Harry came back from the Quidditch pitch, he sat with her and started reading through his notes.

They both had no need for any additional study materials because her mind alone was the information bank they needed. Personally, she would be satisfied if her boyfriend trained for the tournament than spending most of his time studying with her. She was worried about him. Meanwhile, her boyfriend wasn't the least bit worried about the potential possibility of facing Voldemort in the upcoming task, just because he was confident that he could come out of it unharmed.

Slowly time passed, one by one, the common room emptied as it was getting late. And finally, the only ones in the common room were them and some seventh years who were diligently preparing for their NEWTs.

She glanced at her boyfriend who was gesturing her to open a psychic link. He was sitting on the ground before her and she opened her Occulumency barriers and used her Legilimency to talk with him, while not taking her eyes off of her notes, _"What is it?"_

" _Crouch Sr has gone missing. Cedric's father, Mister Diggory, believes that he is dead, but the Ministry is strictly denying any such allegations."_ He replied, without facing her or even acknowledging her that they were communicating, it was how they communicated when conversing sensitive information.

She asked him seriously, _"So, it's happening…"_

" _It would seem so..."_ He replied back honestly.

" _Did this happen in the second timeline, you came from?"_ She asked him being interested in his knowledge of the events.

" _Yes, it did, but earlier, sometime around the middle of March, not now."_

She assessed his answer for a few minutes and then she replied, _"Then, it's obvious that something changed this time around. I'll add that to the list that we have to investigate this summer."_

" _Yes, ma'am…"_

She voiced her thoughts out of concern, _"One more thing, I'll be happy if you trained for the next task than for our exams. I want you to be safe."_

" _I'll be fine, Mione, don't worry."_

She began sounding stern, _"You're being too overoptimistic, honey."_

He replied rather casually, _"With good reason…"_

" _That may be, but still it won't hurt if you're careful."_ She advised him and again he replied, _"Yes, ma'am…"_ And with that, they too retired to their dorms for a good night's sleep.

* * *

 _ **Next Evening-**_

Currently, he was walking to the Headmaster's office. After their Transfiguration class today, professor McGonagall had called him aside and told him that the Headmaster wants to see him. He was intrigued by the situation because, this time around, he hadn't gone to visit the Headmaster's office as often as he had in his first timeline. The only time he can remember entering the office was with Hermione when they went to inform the professors about the Basilisk being the monster in the 'Chamber of Secrets'.

He reached the Headmaster's Tower, but he didn't know the password to access the Griffin Stairwell, but to his surprise, as soon as he reached the statue, the gargoyle statue moved away, beckoning him to step on the winding staircase. As soon as he stepped on it, the Griffin Stairwell moved and took him up to the door of the Headmaster's office

The door of the Headmaster's office was open. He took it as a sign and walked in, he heard a voice on his right; he turned to find the century-old Headmaster standing there, "Harry…"

"Headmaster…" He replied respectfully for appearance's sake.

Dumbledore led him to the seat before the man's desk, "Take a seat."

Albus walked around the desk, to his own seat and asked, "How are you doing, my boy?"

"Fine, sir…"

"Good, good…" To him, it seemed like the headmaster was stalling for time.

Albus sighed as he knew that there was no easy way to put this to the young boy, "There has been an incident, early morning today."

As the man began, his interest peaked higher, so he asked, "An incident, sir?"

"Yes, an unfortunate incident in 'Privet Drive'…" Dumbledore replied sombrely. The reply shocked him because he hadn't expected anything regarding 'Privet Drive' in the very least.

"What kind of incident?" He asked after he managed to school his features.

"A fire, which incinerated the house to ashes…" Dumbledore gave him a brief answer.

"Any casualties, sir…?" He asked sounding hesitant but curious.

"Three…, your aunt, uncle and your cousin…"

Something about the casualties didn't seem right and so he asked, "My cousin, he should have been in school, why was he at home?"

"Apparently, he had gone back home last weekend on special permission from his school. He had stretched the days of his leave of absence and stayed at home for a few more days." Albus explained what he had found in his investigation.

And then, there was a long silence in the room. "The funeral is in two days. If you want to go, I can arrange safe transport." Albus offered the boy being genuinely regretful.

"I have no interest in attending it. They were never really my family and that sentiment shouldn't mean anything now." He replied indifferently, but his eyes betrayed him. He felt a little guilty since they died because of him, as he left them to stay with Sirius, thus nullifying the protection around their house. But, most parts of the fault lied with Dumbledore because his relatives never wanted anything to do with him and it was the old fool's fault that he lived with them in the first place.

Meanwhile, Albus had expected such a reply from the boy, since he knew of the abuse the boy was put through with his relatives. As such, he wasn't surprised when the boy chose not to attend the funeral.

"Thank you, for informing this to me." He thanked the man sounding more disappointed than sad and with that, he stood up from his chair and moved to walk away.

But he was interrupted by a stern statement, "I'm not finished, Harry." He turned around to see the man had no twinkle in his eyes, which meant that the Headmaster was serious.

He sat down again and Dumbledore continued, "What I am about to tell you may sound implausible but nevertheless you will have to accept it."

He feigned a look of confusion and asked uncertainly, "Sir…?"

"Voldemort is still alive." The century-old wizard stated rather bluntly.

He, in turn, also replied very bluntly feigning disbelief, "You must be joking."

"I understand, it must be hard to digest such a revelation, but it's the truth." The headmaster insisted firmly.

"Voldemort is dead, he died thirteen years ago."

"I'm afraid not. Voldemort didn't die thirteen years ago; he was temporarily banished for a time. And now, he has returned." Albus explained to the boy sitting in front of him.

The century-old headmaster also noticed that the boy didn't believe him, so he decided to elaborate with some proof, "Do you remember your first defence professor, Quirinus Quirrell?"

"Yes…"

"He was possessed by Voldemort and was forced to do his bidding. We, professors, found out his condition and confronted him, he fought us and when defeated, the possession ended and he died. When the possession ended, we witnessed Voldemort's spirit escaping Quirrell's body and that's why I'm positive about Voldemort's rebirth." Dumbledore efficiently lied to him, while sounding calm and patient.

"You're serious?" He asked feigning shock.

"Completely…"

"Why are you telling me this…, I mean, why now?" After a long pause, he asked directly not wanting to sugar-coat anything.

"Because I believe that the fire in your relatives' house was no accident, it was a targeted attack. I'm positive that it was Voldemort and his men; they killed your relatives in order to hurt you. And also because I suspect that your entry into the Triwizard Tournament may also be his deed." The headmaster reasoned carefully.

"You believe…?" He questioned in an attempt to make the conversation genuine.

"The Ministry doesn't involve themselves in the matters of the muggle world unless absolutely necessary." Dumbledore made it clear to him that nobody in the magical world knew about the death of his relatives.

He asked since it was a little too obvious, "You knew this all along, didn't you Professor?"

"I had my suspicions, my boy. But seeing how all of this leads to you, it is now clear." The Headmaster spoke elusively.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" He carefully replicated a tenor of outrage as he asked.

The headmaster tried to derail him by speaking in a grandfatherly tone, "You were just a boy. No matter how intelligent or resourceful you are, you were still a child. And these are things no child should trouble himself with…"

"But a teen can?" He intentionally asked in order to start a quarrel. Albus kept quiet realising that the boy was just too upset so that he can't think rationally.

They both sat in silence for many minutes, he made it seem like he was processing the revelations with difficulty and then he questioned again, "You said that Voldemort had possessed Quirrell, but for what purpose?"

"Vengeance…"

"Upon me…?" He asked seeming hesitant.

"Yes…" Albus replied back confidently.

"And that leads me to this question... Why did he even come after me in the first place, professor? I mean thirteen years ago." He clarified the question to the old wizard.

Just as he asked, Dumbledore's mind unconsciously eased, because till now he was worried about the possibility of Sirius elucidating the prophecy to the boy, before he managed to 'Imperius' Sirius. Since they couldn't clarify that doubt by searching through Sirius's mind, he was uncertain about it to a certain extent. Now, he was convinced that the boy knew nothing of the prophecy and still within his clutches.

"He wasn't after you, Harry. He was after your entire family." Dumbledore lied again. And with that, Harry knew that the man had no intention of sharing the prophecy with him anytime soon.

"You mean he has tried to murder my family before?"

Albus reasoned carefully, "On three separate occasions, before you were even born. And each time he personally led the assault."

"Why…, why such an interest in my family…?" He asked sounding rushed.

"Voldemort tried to recruit your parents and induct them into his ranks. And when they refused, he wanted them dead."

"And now, he wants me dead because not only that I survived that night's ordeal and I also 'somehow' managed to _banish_ him thirteen years ago." He tiredly stated that to himself.

Albus added his comment to the boy's last statement, "Precisely…"

"Again, you knew this all along and not once did you think it would be prudent to reveal this to me." He specified it while sounding almost as if he was both upset and bored.

Albus didn't reply because he knew what was about to erupt, he was expecting outraged yell and anger, but what followed put him out of balance, "Thank you, Headmaster." This time, Harry stood up and walked out the door without bothering to turn back once.

* * *

 _ **The Room-**_

After classes, he had spent the whole day by the lake, lost in thought, wandering around aimlessly all the while searching for anything that might distract him. The day ended and night approached, he sighed as he decided to walk back towards the castle since the aurors who were protecting him from a distance were getting restless, and he could literally feel their nerves wound up too tight setting them on the edge.

As soon as he reached the castle, he made his way up to his dorm and wrote a letter to Sirius detailing everything he had learned while asking his godfather to verify it for him if it's true.

And when it was almost time for dinner, he made his way to 'the room' and opened the door only to see his girlfriend practising spells. The aurors never followed him into the castle, as they stood guard around the castle when the Champions are in the safety of Hogwarts. As such, he was positive that he was alone.

He stood there admiring his girlfriend's duelling forms for a few minutes until he was broken of thoughts, "What did Dumbledore want?"

He replied with a dry chuckle with no humour in his expressions, "For some reason, he tried to frighten me and break my morale."

"Why…?" She asked curiously, as she felt his unease.

"I don't know, maybe he feels that I am too strong for a person my age." He supposed thoughtfully.

Hermione asked being equally amused as her boyfriend about the situation, "What did he say?"

"A well-concocted story filled with half-truths, so that he can claim technicality, claim that he didn't lie when questioned in the future." He elaborated just a little.

"Are you alright? You look troubled…" She asked him because something about her boyfriend's mood and behaviour piqued her interest.

"I'm fine." He lied to her evasively. She knew that he was lying to her since she knew him better than anyone. However, she also knew that if he wanted to inform her, then he would on his own volition, and it would be best if she didn't push for an answer.

She walked towards him and circled her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on his lips and whispered with a smile, "I'm starving, let's go to the kitchen, shall we?"

He replied with a slight half-grin, feeling elevated after seeing her smile, "Okay…"

She pulled him by his hand and led him to the kitchen. They reached the kitchen corridor and tickled the pear in the portrait, revealing the doorknob leading into the kitchen. As they walked in, the door closed behind them and he pulled Hermione from moving forward making her turn and face him.

He viewed into her eyes for a brief moment until he averted it and then he said softly, "Dumbledore also mentioned something else…" He paused for another brief moment and then he continued, "…my relatives are dead."

"What…? How…?" Hermione was stunned beyond belief. She had expected something troubling, but she hadn't expected such news in the least, she was at a loss on how to comfort the boy standing in front of her.

"Voldemort is more active than we thought. He apparently thought it would be fun to burn my relatives along with their house to crisp." He replied with a dry chuckle with his voice devoid of emotions.

She closed the distance between them and hugged his midsection tightly and asked, "Oh, Harry…I'm so sorry."

They stood there in a soft embrace for a few minutes while he derived comfort from her soothing presence. She reluctantly separated from their embrace in order to ease him of his disturbing thoughts she was sure that was circling in his mind. Hence willed herself to ask him but if only hesitantly, since the question she was about to ask him may seem insensitive, "How are you feeling?"

He gently caught her right hand with his left and led her to a table near the fireplace and took his seat. She sat beside him so that she can offer some comfort. He began speaking his thoughts to her, "I'm not sad that they are dead, but I feel guilty about their deaths. I'm happy that I walked away from them, but at the same time, I regret choosing to walk away. Does that make any sense to you?"

She circled her hands around his right arm and laid her head on his shoulder as she whispered, "Our lives have always been very complicated, honey. The only thing, you can do is put all of this behind you and move on."

He nodded in agreement giving heed to her counsel, but she wasn't finished, "There is nothing for you to be guilty about. Voldemort is the one to blame because he was the one who murdered the Dursleys. Besides, you only did what the Dursleys wanted you to do, you moved away so not to bother them again. And above all, Dumbledore was the one who placed you in the care of the Dursleys, in the first place, so he should be the one who must regret his actions because their deaths are on his head, not yours."

"Now, have something to eat, it'll help." She said to him concernedly. She then asked the house elves to bring them something satisfying and helped him eat, as he had lost his appetite.

"Should I go to the funeral, Mione?" He asked uncertainly, as his thoughts were turbulent.

"I don't want you to go. Don't torture yourself, Harry. If you don't want to go, then don't, but if it is something you have to do, then I'll understand." She replied confidently since she didn't want him to go not by a longshot.

Seeing him sigh in exhaustion, she helped him calm down in a soothing voice, "Everything will be just fine."

* * *

 _ **A Few Days Later-**_

He was sitting on his bed, leaning on the pillows. He gingerly opened the letter Sirius had sent him, which had arrived just moments ago.

* * *

 _Harry,_

 _You were right about Crouch, pup. I checked with a few of my contacts in the Ministry. The man has gone missing. Amy thinks that Crouch was onto something and that he repeatedly tried to contact Dumbledore just before he went missing._

 _And I also checked with the other thing you asked me. It's true. Your relatives' house in Privet Drive is nothing more than ash, now. And there were three casualties in the fire, your uncle, aunt and cousin. Fortunately, Dumbledore has done a great job at keeping the Ministry away from the incident. And more importantly, someone in the Ministry is trying to bring the incident to light. I've also asked Amy to involve her Department to contain it from the media, at all costs, so don't worry._

 _Prepare for the third task and be safe, no matter how experienced you are, you're still human and that makes you prone to making mistakes. I'm not saying that you will, but be careful nevertheless._

Sirius

* * *

As soon as he finished reading the letter, he looked out the window gazing into the horizon. He was tired of life because his life was a never-ending series of problems. Hermione and the people he held dear were his only comfort and keeping them safe was his sole purpose and the meaning of his life.

The next task is what will make everything clear. It will be what defines the historical turning point of the magical world. He just needed to be a little more patient.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the very short chapter. The third task begins in the next chapter, so stay tuned.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Thank You…**_


	30. Chapter 30

Hey, everyone! I know it has been forever and I am so…so…so…sorry about that.

I'm going to continue this story on Inkitt because let's just say I've lost interest in using fanficdotcom.

I have posted 'Harry Potter and the Time Warp' on Inkitt. It's the same story; I've just corrected many things and updated a few things here and there, but nothing substantial. All you need to do it click on the links below and go and show your support for my story on Inkitt.

I will be updating the rest of my novel there first, and faster, then later on maybe use fanfic again. If you place the story in your reading list, it'll be a huge boost to my confidence.

On Inkitt my username is the same, joenaruhina57.

For phone users, you can download the Inkitt app and read it on your phone through this link (just remove spaces): inkitt. app .link/ff_jn

And also, I have gotten no less than three dozen messages saying that I have to keep updating it in fanficdotcom too and I thought why not. I'm taking a friend's suggestion, the latest chapter will be available in inkitt, but the other chapter will get updated here too.

I would appreciate any support you can give. It's only because of all of you that I have made it this far and I sincerely thank you. I hope I'm not making this difficult for you, but please your support will be really...really appreciated.

…joenaruhina57


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